Saturday, March 14, 2009

"Everything But Marriage" Bill

Same-sex domestic partners would have all of the rights and benefits that Washington offers married couples under a measure passed by the 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.

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 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.

Full Article and Source:
Wash. Senate passes "everything but marriage" bill

More information:
Lawmakers announce 'everything but marriage' bill

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There was a story, I think in Indiana, of a domestic partners couple and one of them suffered a sudden serious illness -- it might have been an accident. Anyway, the first thing the family did was bar the partner from visiting. The partner wanted to care for the injured one. No, the family wasn't having it.

My thoughts during that time was, what about what the injured person wants? If he was happy with his partner, then that's what the family should want for him, especially when he's been injured or disabled.

I think eventually the partner won visitation, but he didn't get to take his partner home.

These cases, to me, are like guardianship cases --- just do what the vulnerable person wants.