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Trenton, New Jersey, Dec. 15 -- New Jersey Same-sex couples hoping to exchange vows on Valentine's Day could be out of luck. New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine did not sign the bill into law on Friday as many had expected. The law will go into effect 60 days after it is signed. The governor who has said he supports civil unions in principal now wants to have it examined clause by clause. "We’re going to do a study, as we do with all legislation that comes to make sure that what we think we’re getting is what we’re getting," Corzine said. "We try to avoid unintended consequences." Still the governor acknowledged that he understands how important it is to same-sex couples to have legal protections. "It is pretty important in the financial lives of a whole host of folks," Corzine said. Depending on what his "study" of the bill finds the governor has three choices. He could sign the bill, veto it or do nothing in which case after 45 days of inaction it would become valid and then go into effect after another 60 days. The bill to allow civil unions for same-sex couples passed the New Jersey Legislature Thursday afternoon. It offers couples who register most state benefits and protections currently available to opposite-sex couples, including the right to health insurance through a partner’s employer. The bill also contains a provision establishing a commission that will investigate how civil unions fall short of marriage and report back to the legislature in six months. The legislation came about as a result of an October ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court that same-sex couples should have access to the same rights and benefits as married couples. Whether to call those rights marriages, civil unions or something else was left up to lawmakers. (Abridged)
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