GOP Group Forms to Support Marriage Equality

State's biggest Republican funder backs same-sex marriage

By NIGEL JAQUISS

A group of high-profile Oregon Republicans has formed a Freedom Oregon, a political action committee that will support same-sex marriage.

The group includes former U.S. Sen Bob Packwood; former Oregon Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer; former Oregon Secretary of State Norma Paulus and Stimson Lumber CEO Andrew Miller, who individually and through his company has been the biggest political contributor to Oregon Republican candidates and causes in recent years.

The veteran GOP political consultant Elaine Franklin, who is married to Packwood, announced the group's formation this morning in a news release. 

Here's part of that message:

Franklin says Freedom Oregon will coordinate its activity with Freedom to Marry, the largely Democratic group that is gathering signatures for a measure for the November ballot.

That show of bi-partisanship is a big win for the campaign and an significant change from 2004, when Oregonians overwhelmingly passed Measure 36, which enshrined a ban on same sex marriage in the state's consitution.



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