Gov. Chris Gregoire signed what some have called the everything-but-marriage bill for domestic partners today, moving the initiative against that bill further one step closer to signature-gathering stage.

The Attorney General and Secretary of State offices had put the initiative on hold until Gov. Gregoire signed the bill — since she could have vetoed part or all of it. Now that she’s signed it, the initiative has been given a ballot title and text.

But — no signature gathering yet. Both sides have a chance to contest the title or text in Thurston County Court. That takes about a week, according to the Secretary of State’s office. When that ends, the initiative supporters can begin gathering signatures. They’ll have until July 25 to get 120,577 valid signatures from registered Washington voters in order for the initiative to make November ballots.

According to a news release sent by the Secretary of State’s office, if it does make it on the ballot, the law extending rights and responsibilities of married couples to domestic partners will not go into effect until December 2009 — if at all.

Here’s the concise description that will appear on official material: “This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.”

Tags: Domestic partnership

Gov. Gregoire’s office sent out a notice that she will sign the bill to extend all the rights and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partners on Monday in Seattle.

The bill changes state law to say that every state-issued right and responsibility of marriage will be extended to registered same-sex couples. An initiative has already been filed challenging the bill. See all our coverage on the issue here.

In addition to the domestic partnership bill, she’ll also sign bills dealing with domestic partners and the Washington State Patrol pension program and state worker pension benefits.

TVW will cover the event and air it Monday. Check back here for details.

Tags: Domestic partnership

The House passed the bill to extend all the state rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex domestic partners — while I was away from my desk. Sorry for the delay.

Here’s Gov. Chris Gregoire’s statement: “I want to thank the legislators who worked tirelessly to get this bill passed in the House. This legislation will expand basic benefits, provide better financial security and ensure equal treatment for domestic partners living in Washington state. Our state is one that thrives on diversity. We have to respect and protect all of the families that make up our communities. I look forward to receiving this bill, and signing it into law.”

The bill passed 62 to 35 and now heads to the Governor.

Tags: Domestic partnership

Watch the bill to extend all the rights and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partners is up in the House right now. Watch live on TVW or at tvw.org.

There are quite a few amendments, so it will be a while before the main bill is debated.

Tags: Domestic partnership

In case you were not up watching the Senate at 10 p.m., here you are:

Tags: Domestic partnership

The Senate passed the bill to extend all the rights and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partners. The vote was 30-18.

Here is our coverage on the bills (one House bill, one Senate bill), including both the Senate and House hearings.

Both bills say the same thing: Wherever the word “marriage” exists in state statute, the bill adds a clause that says the same goes for domestic partners.

In debate, Sen. Ed Murray, the bill’s sponsor, said the bill is about basic rights for same-sex couples — like using sick leave if your partner is ill. He said it had nothing to do with adoption — which is already legal for same-sex couples in this state — or require teaching about homosexuality in school, as some opponents have alleged.

But Sen. Val Stevens said the bill is basically marriage — and that the previously passed “Defense of Marriage Act” was meant to prevent this.

Tags: Domestic partnership

Yesterday, I was blogging along with the House and (some of the) Senate committees that were hearing bills to extend all the state-granted rights and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partners. I meant to post the entire videos but didn’t get a chance until now. Here you are, along with the legislative analysis for each:

House Bill 1727:

Senate Bill 5688:

Tags: Domestic partnership

Sen. Ed Murray is testifying on his Senate bill to extend all the rights and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partnerships.

“I do want to take just a moment and talk about what the bill is not. This bill is not marriage … This bill does not deny — and there’s nothing in it — a person’s freedom of speech. People can denigrate gay and lesbian people today under our Bill of Rights. And they will still be able to denigrate gay and lesbian people under our Bill of Rights.”

Tags: Domestic partnership

Sen. Darlene Fairley just opened the committee hearing by saying there would be no nonsense like at this morning’s hearing. “I won’t put up with that,” she said.

Tune to TVW or watch at tvw.org now.

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Richard Lum from Seattle says: “My older sister and my younger brother are married and they automatically have rights that my partner of nearly 3 years and I don’t have.”

Rep. Matt Shea said he’s very concerned about the Washington State Bar Association expressing their support for the bill. He said membership to the association is mandatory for lawyers in the state, and Shea — a lawyer — didn’t support the message.

Tags: Domestic partnership