Northwest

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Saturday, October 31, 2009 R-71 at a glance Referendum 71 asks voters to either approve or reject the state’s so-called “everything but marriage” law that was passed earlier this year. The bill laws gives additional spousal rights and benefits to domestic partners, including same-sex couples and unmarried senior heterosexual couples, in various areas of state law. Among them: n The right to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner. n The right to wages and benefits when a domestic partner is injured, and to unpaid wages upon the death of a domestic partner. n The right to unemployment and disability insurance benefits. n The right to workers’ compensation coverage. n Insurance rights, including rights under group policies, policy rights after the death of a domestic partner, conversion rights and continuing coverage rights. n Rights related to adoption, child custody and child support. n Business succession rights. ——— The current domestic partnership law already addresses: n Some public assistance provisions, such as access to state-funded domestic violence shelters. n Rights and obligations for public officials’ domestic partners to file public disclosure reports. n Probate and trust laws. n Guardianship and power of attorney issues. n Judicial process and victim rights, including testimonial privileges that allow domestic partners the right to refuse to testify against each other in court. n Dissolution, parenting plans and child support laws. n Community property and other property rights and responsibilities. n Homestead exemption laws. n Health care facility visitation rights. n Ability to grant consent for health care for a partner who is not competent. Health care providers can disclose patient information to the patient’s partner. n Title and rights to cemetery plots and rights of interment. n Right to control disposition of a deceased partner’s remains, including right to make anatomical gifts, authorize autopsies and consent to remove partner’s remains from a cemetery plot. n Inheritance rights when the domestic partner dies without a will. n Administration of an estate if the domestic partner dies without a will or if the named representative declines or is unable to serve. n Making domestic partners beneficiaries of wrongful-death actions. Lawsuits for wrongful death could be brought on behalf of a surviving domestic partner. n Requiring that information recorded on death certificates include domestic partnership status.

1. Victims of Highway 9 crash ID'd; suspect booked for vehicular homicide 2. Driver had 8 beers before crash that killed 4, police say 3. Suspect in officer killings eludes law in Seattle 4. New laws for Snohomish County bikini baristas? 5. Investigator arrived drunk at scene of deadly DUI, police allege 6. Final rules in Air Force tanker contest due any day 7. City error leads to dismantling of Snohomish kennel 8. New store in Everett focuses on gluten-free food 9. Local police offer help after Lakewood shooting 10. Alabama’s Cody moves into Heisman limelight 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

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