Spending on gay marriage initiative likely to top $30 million – have you contributed yet?

Posted on May 28, 2008
Filed Under Gay News Blog

California likely will play host this fall to an unprecedented political battle over gay marriage, as a looming ballot-initiative contest appears likely to force more than $30 million in total spending from the rival factions. Even though a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage has not yet made it onto the November ballot, both sides are already taking in big checks from familiar donors.

Adding fuel to the fire are a pair of dueling polls.

Last week, a Los Angeles Times/KTLA poll found a majority of voters opposed same-sex marriage. But a Field Poll released Wednesday appeared to show a sea change in public opinion on the issue, with roughly half of those surveyed in support of gay marriage. The poll suggests that a constitutional amendment could face a hard road this fall.

Andrew Pugno, an attorney for the Protect Marriage campaign, said his side plans on taking in between $10 million and $15 million — “a little more than was raised and spent on Proposition 22,” as he put it. That was the 2000 initiative stating “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” It passed with 61 percent of the vote.

This would hardly be record-breaking money for California ballot initiatives, such as the $140 million fight over five amended tribal gaming compacts last year. Nonetheless, the potential spending is huge, Pugno said.

“These kinds of initiatives are different from an insurance industry or tribal gaming measure, where there’s tons of money at stake,” Pugno said. “Because it’s a social issue, it tends to be more of a grassroots thing.”

Steve Smith, campaign consultant for Equality for All, the main group on the “no” side of the proposed Protect Marriage initiative, said his group could raise as much as $20 million.

“We will have to at least match them dollar for dollar,” Smith said.

Spending on gay marriage initiative likely to top $30 million
Capitol Weekly, CA

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