Idaho donated $400K to pass gay marriage ban

Campaign finance reports show Idaho residents contributed more than $400,000 to a Web site-based campaign in support of banning gay marriage in California.

California Secretary of State records show dozens of Idaho residents sent $10,000, $5,000 and $1,000 donations to ProtectMarriage.com, an online-based campaign in support of the ban.

Voters in California narrowly passed Proposition 8 in the Nov. 4 election. The ballot proposition amends the California constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

The ProtectMarriage.com campaign collected a total of about $40 million for its Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, according to a statement posted on its Web site.

The Idaho donations were collected in a span of less than two weeks, beginning on Oct. 27 and ending on Election Day, and a bulk of the money came from the eastern region of the state.

The wife of Frank VanderSloot, president and CEO the Melaleuca Inc. healthcare products company, donated $100,000 and Idaho Falls businessman Kreg Davis donated $15,000 to the ProtectMarriage.com campaign.

Davis said his uncle is gay and lives in California with a partner.

“I want them to be treated with respect and dignity,” Davis told the Post Register. “I want them to have equal rights and equal pay. At the same time, I believe children should be raised by a mom and a dad.”

Brigham Young University-Idaho President Kim Clark put $5,000 toward efforts to pass the ban. The university is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which played a vigorous role in the campaign to pass Proposition 8.

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