Anti-gay ballot money pours in
San Francisco CA Examiner 3Aug99 L1
By Zachary Coile: Examiner Staff

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA -- Disclosure reports filed with the state of California show that those in favor of the Knight initiative have raised four times the money that those who would like to defeat the controversial anti-gay-rights amendment. The reports show that the two campaign committees supporting the Knight initiative have raised $839,000 this year, while the campaign against the amendment has raised only $223,000.

While the vote on the initiative will not be held until March 7, 2000, early receipts may indicate that supporters of the initiative will enjoy a monetary advantage during the campaign. Political analysts believe that the intitiative could be one of the most controversial and bitterly fought issues on the California ballot.

The initiative has already raised a wave of controversy as the LDS Church sent a letter from the Area presidency over California to every congregation in California, suggesting that members support the initiative. The letter was to be read in Sacrament meetings.

Those against the initiative are already assuming that they will not have as much money to fight as supporters, "They will raise more than us," says Mike Marshall, campaign manager for the No on Knight effort. "If we raised $10 million, they'd raise $15 million." Marshall thinks his efforts will raise about $5 million.

"Our opponents have vowed on numerous occasions to raise $10 million. We take them at their word," says Rob Stutzman, spokesman for the initiative campaign. He says that the supporters are pleased with the early fund-raising lead.

While the disclosure forms don't give any indication of the religious affiliation of the donors, backers of the initiative assume that funds have come from conservative donors with ties to the religious right. The two largest donors where conservative political supporters Roland Hinz and Richard A. Riddle, who gave $50,000 each. The campaign against the measure received its largest contribution from John Goldman of Goldman Insurance and his wife, who gave $25,000, and from the Human Rights Campaign, the largest US gay and lesbian political advocacy group, which also gave $25,000.

The article gives many details of the donations, none of which could be tied to Mormons.