Michigan must prepare for anti-gay ballot initiative battle

Citizens for the Protection of Marriage, the group spearheading the petition drive to get an anti-gay marriage amendment on the Nov. ballot, have contacted the Secretary of State indicating they will have the required number of signatures by the July 5 deadline, sources told BTL.
It was not known at press time how many signatures the group had. The group has hired a petition firm to collect the remaining signatures.
Michigan is not the only state gearing up for an anti-gay battle over marriage.
On June 24, Bay Windows the LGBT paper out of Boston reported on the phenomenon of anti-gay ballot measures sweeping the country. Dave Fleischer, Director of Organizing and Training for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force told Bay Windows, "We're really facing a grave situation. We have never had a year where this large a number of places are voting [on an anti-gay ballot initiative]."
Currently there are eight states who will put an amendment question before voters: Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, Montana, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, Bay Windows reported. In five other states (Michigan, Arkansas, Oregon, Ohio, and North Dakota) there are currently petition drives under way to gather signatures for an amendment question on the ballot in Nov. According to the Bay Windows report, "NGLTF believes amendment proponents in these states are likely to get the required signatures, and Fleischer said there's a possibility that amendment questions could also wind up on the ballot in Delaware and North Carolina."
Coalition for a Fair Michigan, the group formed to defeat the anti-gay ballot measure in Michigan, is gearing up for what is sure to be a difficult battle. The group is in need of donations and volunteers. For more information or to make a contribution visit www.coalitionforafairmichigan.org or call 248-477-7504.