King County Executive Ron Sims had to race ahead with his plan to challenge state law prohibiting gay marriage after the editor of The Stranger showed up at the courthouse on March 5 seeking a marriage license. Bob Young reports in The Seattle Times that gay marriage proponents wanted to have "hand-picked couples" challenge the law but feared the controversial author of the sex advice column Savage Love (pictured) might beat them to it.
"This was the definition of silly," a Republican council member says of the Cincinnati City Council's move to subpoena Leslie Blade to talk about her investigative piece. Having Blade testify brought the council no more information than reading the story, he says. Blade refused to answer a few questions during her half-hour appearance before the council Tuesday but said she wrote the article because "you're talking about public funds—about public trust—and the rules should be followed."
CityBeat Editor/Co-Publisher John Fox got a lot of advice, both solicited and unsolicited, after reporter Leslie Blade was subpoenaed to testify before the council's Law and Public Safety Committee. It's only the second time in 10 years the council has issued a subpoena to anyone. Blade caught the council's attention with her Dec. 10 cover story on cops who double-billed the city and housing authority. In an editorial this week, Fox says Blade should be proud to discuss the expose with the council, but she won't be sharing names of sources or information not included in her story.
