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Loading ...Wa. Senate OKs expanded partner bill
03.11.2009 8:32am EDT
(Olympia, Washington) Same-sex domestic partners would have all of the rights and benefits that Washington offers married couples under a measure passed by the state Senate.
Supporters of the bill said it offers same-sex couples fairness that has been denied them under the state’s 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts marriage to unions between a man and woman.“You have denied us that right,” said bill sponsor Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, one of six openly gay lawmakers in the Legislature. “Do not deny us the right to care for our families and build our lives.”
The bill passed on a mostly party-line 30-18 vote Tuesday night and now heads to the House. The Senate rejected two Republican amendments, including one that would have sent the measure to voters.
The bill expands on previous domestic partnership laws by adding reference to partnerships alongside all remaining areas of state law where currently only married couples are mentioned, statutes ranging from labor and employment to pensions and other public employee benefits.
The underlying domestic partnership law, which Murray spearheaded two years ago, provided hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will.
Last year, lawmakers expanded that law to give domestic partners standing under laws covering probate and trusts, community property and guardianship.
As of Tuesday, 5,112 domestic partnership registrations had been filed since the law took effect in July 2007.
Opponents said the bill alters the traditional definition of marriage.
“Same-sex couples have the right to form meaningful relationships. But I don’t think they have the right to redefine marriage for all of us,” said Sen. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has said she supports the new expansion measure. Gregoire signed the last two domestic partnership bills into law, as well as a gay civil rights law in 2006.
Only Connecticut and Massachusetts have legalized gay marriage. Same-sex marriage was legal in California for five months until a state referendum to ban it passed last fall.
Vermont, New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have laws that either recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships that afford same-sex couples similar rights to marriage. Thirty states have gay marriage bans in their constitutions.
I wonder sometimes about the word traditional, or normal, or family. My husband and I took care of his dying ex-wife for two years before she passed away, providing loving care and stability for the family. After her death his teenage son moved in with us. We have a very loving, caring home and are a family. He shares that our home is more stable than most of his friend’s homes. Nothing that we do hurts anyone else. We both have good, stable jobs. We pay our bills. We contribute to the community and we have a very warm, open, loving home. Why shouldn’t we be treated as equal as anyone else?
Born gay and loving who I am!
I read the following on another blog and thought it was perfect. It is about Same sex marriage. Talking to hetrosexuals… People in an exclusive club don’t want to fix the members because they’re already included, however, it is essential to exclude someone or else the club is meaningless and they have no real advantage. This is NOT a religious issue. It is plain and simple discrimination for the reason of maintaining some relative, although self-serving, privilege. The sad part is that eventually those holding their religious banner of exclusion will have to face the very thing they pregtend to be defending. What it really means to be Christian. May God have mercy on those who do this in his name!
Good for Washington it’s a step forward but we should have marriage.One day soon we will know that we are all one and that we all should have the same rights. This has been going on for a long time they have to wake up some day.I just wish that people would stop using God to spread hate we are all God’s children.
it is time for us to change our negative thinking about gay and lesbian people or transgender, this ignorants have blinded us from loving our brothers and sisters instead we shund them aside like they lives have no meaning, this kind of bigotry have some parent disowning their own children because they dont understand homosexuality this is the same as denying a person his rights because they are black and it cant be tolerated any form of ignorants for god loves us all how can we learn from each other if we are divided!!!
“Same-sex couples have the right to form meaningful relationships”? How kind of you, Sen. Holmquist, but teh reality is, we always have and we always will. In the meantime, go f@ck yourself.
“Opponents said the bill alters the traditional definition of marriage.” Absolutely not, it simply creates a new fully inclusive one … as per our Bill of Rights.
Until it’s full equality at the federal level, my partner and I just find it hard to take this seriously any more. I’m glad we’re making some progress but how long are we supposed to remain second class before our country lives up to its basic principles and laws?
here we go again–separate but equal??-folks it just aint marriage-why are they so afraid to let us share this “word” with them? millions have been spent on preventing this word from being granted to the gay community-millions !!straits dont have exclusive rights to own this word !!give me a break !!
Tom, you took the words right out of my mouth. This nonsense just makes my blood boil.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
We all need this type of bill, but why can’t we be portrayed as normal …conventional people…rather than pictures of same sex couple that has pink and blue hair. I think while we are trying to achieve equality, the folks passing the laws are having a lot of trouble taking this serious when we look like “all we wanna do is have some fun”. Nothing wrong with the look, but as always….there is a time and a place for everything.
This is great news:
However gotta love:
“Same sex couples have the right to form meaningful realtionships” Wow how nice of you Missy Holmquist. I think straits should be allowed to form meaningful relationships too. “But I do not think they have the right to redefine marriage for all of us” Wow pull the string on the Republican doll. Just how is this going to change your realtionship. Will it affect your emotional or sex life with your husband in any way ? Will it not be as possible for him to be “virile” knowing that GBLT people have the same rights ?
Love how Repulicans always want to put our rights up for a vote.
Tom in Long Beach
They could save themselves so much money by just granting “marriage”. The cost of amending state documents and forms to put “domestic partners” on an equal mention with “marriage” is an unnecessary accomodation. Grant “marriage” and no forms need be changed.
After what seems like weeks of nothing but bad news for us, it’s good to finally have something positive enacted. Now if only the Federal government would do something similar, imperfect as it might be, on a national level. You know, sort of like The Feds did for civil rights under LBJ.
Had it been left, back in the 60’s, up to each and every individual State, I wonder if African Americans might actually today have to change seats – that is, move to the back of the bus – if that bus crossed a state line into one with “less progressive” laws?