ADF considering appeal to restore voters’ rights in Oregon
Judge says there’s no guarantee for Oregon voters to have their petition signatures countPORTLAND, Ore. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are considering whether to appeal Friday’s decision by a federal judge against disenfranchised signers of a petition to put Oregon’s “domestic partnership” law before the voters. The judge lifted his preliminary injunction against the law, H.B. 2007, on which voters have never been heard.
During Friday’s hearing, the judge stated that voters in Oregon have no legal right to have their petition signatures counted.
“In America, every citizen’s voice counts. Government bureaucrats cannot decide what is best for the people of Oregon. We are considering all options for appeal of today’s decision on behalf of disenfranchised Oregonians,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks.
On Dec. 28, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon granted ADF attorneys’ request to prevent the “domestic partnerships” bill from going into effect while the lawsuit, Lemons v. Bradbury, goes forward. ADF attorneys then asked the court to make its preliminary injunction against the law permanent (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4364). At a hearing Friday, the judge refused.
ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit on behalf of several Oregonians after the Secretary of State and several different county clerks wrongfully rejected valid citizens’ petition signatures for Referendum 303, which would allow voters to decide the “domestic partnerships” issue. Many of these excluded citizens sought in person, but to no avail, to have their signatures validated.
“Their signatures were genuine and no legitimate reason existed to refuse to allow these registered voters to participate in the democratic process,” said Nimocks. “Our country is founded on the basic principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It should stay that way in Oregon.”
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
