New gay rights law being approved by voters [View All]

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Source: Seattle PI



Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Last updated 8:28 p.m. PT
New gay rights law being approved by voters
Measure expands rights of same-sex domestic partners

By CHRIS GRYGIEL
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Voters Tuesday were approving Washington's new "everything but marriage" law that greatly expands the rights of gay couples.

In early election returns Referendum 71 was passing 52 percent to 47 percent.

Meanwhile voters in Maine were deciding the fate of that state's new gay marriage law. In early returns there the issue was too close to call.

In Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill in May granting same sex domestic partners all the rights of married couples. That same month conservative interests announced they would attempt to overturn the new law and enough signatures were collected enough to place R-71 on the November ballot.

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# Workers' compensation coverage.
# The right to use sick leave to care for a spouse.
# Victims' rights, including the right to receive notifications and benefits allowances. Business succession rights.
# Legal process rights, such as the ability to sign certain documents, the requirement to join in certain petitions, rights to cause of action, and ability to transfer licenses without charge.
# The right to wages and benefits when a spouse is injured, and to unpaid wages upon death of spouse.
# The right to unemployment and disability insurance benefits disability insurance issues
# Insurance rights, including rights under group policies, policy rights after death of spouse, conversion rights, and continuing coverage rights.

California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have laws that either recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships that afford same-sex couples similar rights to marriage. Thirty states have gay marriage bans in their constitutions.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/411801_gayrights03.html