In a vote that
did not produce a clear winning side, both parties were
claiming victory in an Alaska referendum that asked voters
to decide if state lawmakers should go forward with a
constitutional amendment that would take away benefits
from the same-sex partners of public employees. With
92% of precincts reporting by Wednesday morning, unofficial
results from the state's Division of Elections
showed that 55% of voters are in favor of stripping
gay partners of their benefits while 45% are
against it, with those in favor ahead by 8,300 votes,
the Associated Press reports.
"'Get us a constitutional amendment that we can
consider," said Republican representative John
Coghill, who initiated the vote, in regard to the
message that was sent. "So I am going to use that as
forcefully as I can in the legislature to encourage people
to at least get people a chance to vote on [the measure]."
But an opponent of the measure said the result
was decidedly unimpressive. Senate Judiciary Committee
chairman Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat, said he
does not expect the election to change that.
"It's hardly an
overwhelming result," said French. "The state has now
wasted a million dollars on a poll that isn't going to
change anybody's mind in Juneau." Juneau is the
state capital.
The vote has no binding authority, the AP
reports. (The Advocate)
