A judge in Western Washington has lifted the order that prevented the release of signatures on initiative and referendum petitions.  The ruling does not affect the petitions for Referendum 71 which remain under wraps because that case is tied up in a federal suit.  But it does clear the way for all other referenda and initiatives, including a batch that were led by anti-tax crusader Tim Eyman

Referendum 71 is the measure that expanded rights of same-sex couples.  Petitioners in the federal case are trying to persuade the court that signers would be at personal risk if their names and addresses were known.

Eyman contends in a broadly distributed e-mail today that people who contribute less than $25 to a political campaign have more protection than petition signers because their donations don't have to be reported under the Public Disclosure Law.

Do you think people who sign the petitions that put proposed laws on the ballot should be covered by public records laws?

We've touched on this issue before, but what the heck, let's open it up again. We have a three-day weekend ahead of us.

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