Sup****ters and opponents of a ballot initiative that would outlaw same-***
marriage in California have poured $41.2 million into the race, more than
the
combined total spent in the 24 states where similar measures have gone
before
voters since 2004.
Campaign finance figures show sup****ters of the gay marriage ban have
taken a
significant lead in fundraising even as Proposition 8 has lagged in public
opinion polls. A backer, ProtectMarriage.com, re****ted taking in $25.4
million
through Sept. 30 of this year compared to the $15.8 million in donations
raised
by the main committee opposing the measure.
"It shows there is tremendous grassroots sup****t for what we are trying to
do,"
said Frank Schubert, co-manager of the gay marriage ban campaign.
Schubert said more than 60,000 people and businesses have given money to
help
pass the initiative, which would amend the state constitution to limit
marriage
to a man and a woman. He provided the figures Monday before the group
filed its
official fundraising re****t with the secretary of state's office to meet
the
re****ting deadline.
Steve Smith, manager of Equality for All, a coalition of groups working to
defeat the gay marriage ban, predicted the bank accounts for the two sides
would
even up by Election Day on Nov. 4. He noted that when the last campaign
finance
re****ts were filed at the end of July, the proposition's opponents were
ahead.
"What's happening is a little seesaw battle," Smith said.
Both sides have set aside more than $10 million for television
advertisements
and plan to start airing their second round of ads this week. The
fundraising
advantage Proposition 8's sup****ters have at this point is reflected in
the
remaining cash on hand they re****ted having on Monday _ $12.8 million for
sup****ters of the ban, $1.8 million for its opponents.
According to figures compiled by the National Organization on Money in
State
Politics, a little less than $33 million was spent on campaigns to pass or
defeat gay marriage bans in the 24 states where they appeared on ballots
in
2004, 2005 and 2006. Sup****ters of same-*** marriage had the fundraising
edge in
all of them, but voters approved all but one, in Arizona.
With a month to go until the election, fundraising by the two sides in the
California campaign already has well exceeded that amount. By comparison,
the
most expensive gay marriage fight before now was in Colorado, where
opponents
and sup****ters spent $6.8 million in 2006.
"For an issue like this, it's a lot of money," said Rachel Weiss, a
spokeswoman
for the national Organization on Money in State Politics. "California is
in its
own universe."
Associated Press writer Steve Lawrence in Sacramento contributed to this
story.
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I'm not afraid to say what's on my mind - To take a stand, to draw the
line
To speak my heart and bare my soul - I don't like lies
I'd rather know the truth - Yea, what say you
-Tritt Travis
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