Washington voters have approved the state's new "everything but marriage" law, expanding rights for domestic partners and marking the first time any state's voters have approved a gay equality measure at the ballot box, according to the AP.
Referendum 71 expands a 2007 domestic partnership law for a second time, granting gay and lesbian couples all the remaining state-provided rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage.
After Thursday's vote in Washington, the measure was approved 52 percent to 48 percent.
The measure asked people to approve or reject the latest expansion of the new state law that Gov. Chris Gregoire signed in the spring. That same month conservative interests announced they would attempt to overturn the new law and enough signatures were collected enough to place R-71 on the November ballot.
The original domestic partnership law, backed by Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, two years ago, provided inheritance rights in cases where there was no will, hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations.
About 6,000 domestic partnership registrations have been filed since July 2007.
Same-sex couples can now use sick leave to care for a partner, and gain rights with adoption, child support and custody. Couples now have access to insurance rights, including rights under group policies, policy rights after death of spouse, conversion rights, and continuing coverage rights. |
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