TODAY: Marriage Hearings For WA

Hearings begin today on Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire's marriage equality bill. Both sides are expected to draw thousands of supporters to the state capital.

Big crowds are expected for the hearings on Monday. Stand for Marriage Washington — a loosely organized coalition of conservative lawmakers, well-known evangelical pastors, the Tri-City Tea Party and the Constitution Party of Washington — predicts as many as 10,000 people will flood the Capitol for a noontime rally in opposition to gay marriage. "We have to create among these legislators a belief that they will lose their jobs if they vote to redefine this law," said Joseph Backholm, of Washington Family Policy Institute, a member of the coalition. "We have to convince them to be more afraid of us than of the other side.

NOM has created a $250K bribe fund, a prize package for legislators that vote against civil equality. Another coalition of anti-gay groups is advocating for a state ballot measure that would repeal the bill, should it pass. And in a situation much like we saw in New York, all eyes are on the remaining handful of undecided state legislators.