Attorney General Rob McKenna said today he supports giving the rights of marriage for same-sex couples through the state’s domestic partnership registry. But as for same-sex marriage, he’s having “a hard time getting there.’’
McKenna, who is the Republican Party’s presumed candidate for governor this year, made his comments during an editorial board meeting at The Olympian, where he spoke about his legislative agenda for 2012. [Go here for a previous story on McKenna’s bill to counter stalkers.]
Editorial page editor Mike Oakland asked McKenna about same-sex marriage, which the leading Democratic opponent for governor, Jay Inslee, supports – and which is close to having enough votes to pass the state Senate this year, according to The Associated Press.
Several key Republicans, including attorney general candidate Reagan Dunn, recently said they also support same-sex marriage.
Said McKenna:
“I have said that No. 1 I support the civil rights law that was on the ballot in fall 2010. I voted for it [Referendum 71]. I have been to court on a related issue to defend the right of the public to know who subjected that measure to a referendum to begin with. Otherwise it would have stayed in effect.’’
Opponents of same-sex marriage have already filed an initiative to stop it and McKenna said he thinks it is something to be decided by voters:
“I think any change to the law that extends that civil rights law to include marriage ought to go to a vote of the people. Everyone knows how they feel about it … [I]t ought to go to a vote. That is what [Democrat] Sen. [Mary Margaret] Haugen is saying; that is what [Republican] Sen. [Dan] Swecker is saying, Republican and Democrat. And you know what? It is going to be voted on. No matter how you look at it in terms of scenarios – it is going to be on the ballot. It’ll be on the ballot by referendum or it’ll be on the ballot by initiative. This is an issue that every voter is capable of deciding. And they ought to decide it. And if the voters approve it, we’ll move forward. But every voter is capable of making this decision for himself or herself. … I predict it will be on the ballot this fall one way or another.’’
Asked his personal view, McKenna said:
“My personal view is that domestic partners and same sex [couples] ought to enjoy all of the rights – the legal rights to inherit, to visit each other in the hospital, that whole panoply of rights – but my view of marriage is based on my religious faith. And so, I have a hard time getting there. I mean, this is all fairly new still, our society is still moving - as our president said, evolving. But at this point my position is the same as Barack Obama’s as far as I can tell and was the same as Chris Gregoire’s until last week. But you know, I respect Reagan Dunn’s point of view … because all of us (are) able to reach our own conclusions. So let’s move forward and let the voters have their say.’’
McKenna went on to say that if there are problems with the current domestic partners law such as visiting a gay partner in a hospital, “then let’s address those.’’
The Associated Press is reporting today that 22 of the Senate’s 49 members favor legalizing same-sex marriage in 2012 – including Democratic Sen. Karen Fraser of Thurston County [Fraser made her position clear after earlier reports said she was on the fence]. Those in favor include Republican Sens. Cheryl Pflug of Maple Valley and Steve Litzow of Bellevue.
Reagan Dunn followed McKenna onto the King County Council a few years ago and now is running for AG against Democrat Bob Ferguson. The council voted 8-to-1 this week in favor of resolution in support of lobbying for passage of a same-sex marriage law, and here is a story on his decision.
UPDATE on original 3:34 p.m. post: Inslee’s campaign spokeswoman Jaime Smith said today that:
“… Jay fully supports bringing marriage equality to Washington state. He’s been encouraged by the willingness of legislators on both sides of the aisle to join the effort of passing it in the Legislature, and is hopeful they will succeed. [He] favors action by the Legislature but should that not be successful will support the ballot measure.”
“Jay is a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and allow the federal government to provide benefits to same-sex couples.”
