Nevada Overrides Domestic Partner Veto

The Nevada legislature voted over the weekend to override the gubernatorial veto of a bill that establishes domestic partnerships for same-sex and opposite-sex couples. The law, which grants domestic partners many of the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples, will take effect on October 1, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The assembly voted 28-14 on Sunday to override the veto by Gov. Jim Gibbons, following a 14-7 vote by the senate on Saturday after an emotional debate. Legislators faced intense lobbying by the tourism industry, which feared a potential boycott by LGBT visitors if the veto were upheld.

Under the new law, domestic partners will have the same rights as married couples in areas such as estate planning, medical decisions, community property, and child care.

The new law specifically states that domestic partnerships are not marriages. Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2002 that defines marriage as a union between a man and woman.

Gibbons vetoed the bill on the grounds that existing laws already provided adequate domestic contract options.