Gregoire signs same-sex partnership law; appeal could force referendum
Published 11:21 pm Monday, May 18, 2009
OLYMPIA — A new law signed Monday provides same-sex couples in Washington every right and benefit that married couples enjoy — though it excludes actual marriage and it may be months before those rights actually extend to them.
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation amending dozens of state laws to include domestic partners wherever references to married couples are found.
The intent is to ensure the state treats registered domestic partnerships — defined as same-sex couples and unmarried heterosexual couples in which one person is at least 62 years old — the same as heterosexual couples.
Among the changes, gays and lesbians will have the right to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner and to receive wages and benefits when a domestic partner is injured.
The law is scheduled to take effect July 25.
However, its implementation could be delayed if opponents of the law qualify Referendum 71 for the November ballot. The referendum seeks to repeal the legislation.
Foes must turn in signatures of roughly 120,000 registered voters by July 25 to reach the ballot. They haven’t started and may not for another week.
On Monday, the Attorney General’s Office planned to issue a title and summary for the ballot measure. Then a five-day period for legal challenges of the wording begins.
Petitions won’t be printed and signature gathering started at least until that period ends, said Larry Stickney of Arlington, who filed the original paperwork May 4.
Washington provided legal recognition for and a registry of domestic partnerships in 2007. At that time, some rights granted by the state to married couples were provided to domestic partners.
In 2008, the state expanded the number of rights and responsibilities for same-sex couples. These included inheritance rights and the ability to grant consent for medical treatment for a partner who is not competent to make decisions.
Monday, Gregoire said the new law strengthens families and “represents the culmination of incredible work to treat all Washingtonians equally.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
