Gov. Christine Gregoire has signed legislation expanding the state's domestic partnership law to provide for more than 170 additional rights and responsibilities which married couples already have.
The measure passed its final hurdle in the legislature earlier this month. It goes into effect on June 12.
"This bill is about protecting and helping Washington families," said Gregoire at a ceremony to mark the signing on Wednesday. "It simply gives these families the same rights as everybody else. It's the right thing to do."
The new law makes domestic partnerships equal to marriage in areas of community property, guardianship and powers of attorney. It would allow partners the right to refuse to testify against partners in court. And it provides the same remedies as married couples have in ending a relationship including the division of property. But while the bill would cover state 170 laws governing marriage it would not affect federal laws which do not recognize same-sex relationships.
"Domestic partners still lack the vast majority of the protections that married couples take for granted in Washington state," said Pedersen but added that the new law is the "next step in addressing that injustice."
The measure passed its final hurdle in the legislature earlier this month. It goes into effect on June 12.
"This bill is about protecting and helping Washington families," said Gregoire at a ceremony to mark the signing on Wednesday. "It simply gives these families the same rights as everybody else. It's the right thing to do."
The new law makes domestic partnerships equal to marriage in areas of community property, guardianship and powers of attorney. It would allow partners the right to refuse to testify against partners in court. And it provides the same remedies as married couples have in ending a relationship including the division of property. But while the bill would cover state 170 laws governing marriage it would not affect federal laws which do not recognize same-sex relationships.
"Domestic partners still lack the vast majority of the protections that married couples take for granted in Washington state," said Pedersen but added that the new law is the "next step in addressing that injustice."
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