WA Lawmakers Get
Ready to Unveil Bills
Seeking Marriage
Equality
RACHEL LA CORTE, AP
from outinsettle.com January 11, 2007
SEATTLE -- Less than a year
after the state Supreme Court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage, the
issue is being taken up again by the Legislature.
Two bills dealing with same-sex couples are scheduled to be announced at a press
conference Thursday: one to allow same-sex marriage, the other calling for
domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples.
Supporters say the dual approach is necessary to extend benefits such as
hospital visitation rights and end-of-life decisions to same-sex couples, while
continuing to push for full marriage rights.
"Our goal is marriage equity, and we will work for that," said Rep. Joe
McDermott, D-Seattle, one of the Legislature's five openly gay lawmakers who are
working on the measures. "In the meantime, our effort is to provide immediate
relief, immediate benefits, to same-sex couples."
McDermott said the benefits sought in the partnership bill include health-care
decision making, funeral planning and inheritance rights.
"An incremental approach provides the opportunity to educate people," said Rep.
Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines. "People may see that just because these two
loved ones can visit each other in the hospital and plan funeral arrangements,
the sky isn't falling."
Also working on the measures are Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, Rep. Jamie
Pedersen, D-Seattle, and Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, who spearheaded a gay
civil-rights bill that became law last year.
That measure, which took effect in July, added "sexual orientation" to a state
law that bans discrimination in housing, employment, insurance and credit.
Those in the gay and lesbian community who were heartened by that victory in the
Legislature were quickly disappointed by the state Supreme Court's 5-4 decision
in July that said state lawmakers were justified in restricting marriage to
unions between a man and woman.
That decision overruled two lower courts, which had found the state's 1998
Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. In their writings, three
majority justices in the case invited the state Legislature to take another look
at the gay marriage ban's effect on same-sex couples.
Last month, New Jersey adopted civil unions for same-sex couples, joining
Connecticut and Vermont as states that allow civil unions for gay couples.
Massachusetts allows gay couples to marry, while California has domestic
partnerships that bring full marriage rights.
Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, has offered support for extending marriage-like
civil rights and protections to same-sex couples. Her spokeswoman, Holly
Armstrong, said she had not yet seen the recent proposals.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said she would co-sponsor the
domestic partnership bill in the Senate.
"These are very practical issues that same-sex couples face," said Brown, who
said she believed the bill had a good chance of passing the Senate.
Murray has introduced same-sex marriage measures before, the first in 1997, but
none have ever received a hearing.
Murray said he wants to make sure at the very least that benefits are extended
this year -- but he emphasized that a domestic partnership law is not enough.
"This is not about domestic partnership; this is about marriage," said Murray,
the main sponsor of both bills in the Senate. "The only reason we are
introducing the domestic partnership bill is to further the cause of educating
the public."
Republicans said this was the wrong issue for Democrats to push.
"It's not our priority," said Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale. "We would
just like to focus on other things."
Opponents argue that even the domestic partnership bill would erode traditional
marriage.
"There's very little support in this state for gay marriage," said Joseph Fuiten,
a Bothell pastor who is leader of Positive Christian Agenda, a state group of
Christian organizations opposed to gay marriage. "Marriage is a unique
institution. We really don't want to see it weakened or diminished in the
name of so-called civil rights."
Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, who is pushing a constitutional amendment this
year to affirm traditional marriage, said the issue of gay marriage or
additional benefits should be put to voters as well.
Murray disagreed.
"The rights of minorities should not be put on the ballot for majorities to
decide," he said.
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