(Carson City, Nevada) Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is warning the legislature not to bother sending him a bill that would allow same and opposite-sex couples to register as domestic partners and receive many of same rights as married couples have in the state.

The governor said that domestic partnerships are essentially the same as marriage and state law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples. In 2002, voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

The bill, however, makes it clear that domestic partnerships does not equal marriage.

The bill states domestic partners would have the “same rights, protections, benefits, responsibilities, obligations and duties” as traditionally married couples and be subject to the same divorce laws, such as those involving community property.

The bill also has been amended to state that public sector employers would not be required to provide health care benefits to employees’ partners. It does not block similar benefits from being provided in the private sector.

It would allow same-sex couples to register their relationships with the secretary of state’s office.

The bill was written by Sen. David Parks, an openly gay Las Vegas Democrat.

Republicans have opposed the bill throughout its movement in the legislature. It is doubtful Democrats could muster enough votes to override a veto.

A public opinion poll released Tuesday by The Las Vegas Review-Journal found that 38 percent of Nevadans favor domestic partner legislation, while 50 percent oppose it and the remainder are undecided.

Broken down by party support, the poll found that those who said they were Democrats back partnerships by a 46 percent to 36 percent margin, while independents support it 47 percent to 42 percent.

Nevertheless, Republicans oppose the proposal by a 71 percent to 23 percent margin, more than off-setting the Democrat and independent support.