Organizing on NC gay marriage referendum takes off (WRAL) 
Behind-the-scenes efforts are slowly gearing up for a referendum next May in which North Carolina voters will decide whether to engrave a ban on gay marriage into the state constitution. Pro- and anti-amendment forces are assembling campaigns that will raise money and build support for their causes.
In an era of growing acceptance of same-sex relationships in the U.S., well-funded national groups that view North Carolina as a flashpoint on the gay marriage issue are preparing to get out their checkbooks. At least one is already spending in a bid to sway the outcome May 8 in the only Southeastern state that doesn't limit marriage to a man and a woman in its constitution. The winning side may need millions of dollars.
"Money is what gives us the resources to win," said Jeremy Kennedy, of the newly formed Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families, the referendum campaign committee opposed to the constitutional change. The salaries of two coalition employees already are being paid by the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign.
TV or radio ads and campaign mailers are expected to reach voters in the weeks leading up the referendum, although exactly how many will be seen and heard may depend on the polling or perceptions that the outcome is uncertain. Voter registration drives, debates on college campuses and pulpit sermons also are in the works.
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Complete article at WRAL : http://bit.ly/w49Yim
