Prop. 8: The $73-million question

Prop. 8 was already incredibly expensive -- but new numbers show it's getting even more costly. And it looks like the "no" forces have a slight edge now. From the Associated Press:

Spending for and against a ballot initiative that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California has surpassed $73 million, almost twice the total that was spent in the 24 states where similar measures were put to voters since 2004.

Campaign finance records show that opponents of Proposition 8 had a slight lead in contributions as of Monday, having raised $37.6 million. Supporters of the ban on gay marriage had raised $35.8 million.

According to the National Organization on Money in State Politics, a little less than $33 million was spent on campaigns to pass or defeat gay marriage bans in the 24 states where they appeared on ballots in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

For more, check out The Times' guide to Prop. 8.

-- Shelby Grad