The Nevada state Senate passed a final version of a bill yesterday that gives domestic partners most of the rights and responsibilities afforded to married couples in the state. The legislation requires domestic partners to file paperwork with the secretary of state, prohibits discrimination against domestic partners, but does not require employers to provide domestic partner benefits, reported the Mercury News.
Governor Jim Gibbons has vowed to veto the bill: “The people have already spoken on this issue; they’ve voted twice (and) put it in the constitution that a marriage should be between a man and a woman….Same-sex marriage is illegal and they do not have a right to enter into that institution. It’s as simple as that,” reported NBC. To override a veto, three more votes in support of the bill would be needed in the state Senate and two more votes would be needed in the state Assembly.
Also this week, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed legislation that allows the gay and lesbian partners access to employee benefits afforded to married couples. A spokesman for the governor stated “Public and private employers across the country recognize partner benefits as an inexpensive option to attract and retain the best employees and to promote fairness and equality in the workplace” in an e-mail, according to the Denver Post.
