"Domestic Partner" Bill

Newsmax covers the story about Queen Christine signing the "domestic partner" bill into law here.

Now that it's law, here my breakdown on this outrageous bill:

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Saturday a measure to create domestic partnerships, giving gay and lesbian couples some of the same rights that come with marriage.

Ever since Her Majesty's coronation, she's been governing like the worst of liberals, almost as if she won by a major landslide rather than the questionably close margin that she actually did (actually, Dino Rossi was the winner until they found enough illegal votes for her in King County). I predict a one-term governor, especially if Rossi runs against her again.

The law creates a domestic partnership registry and provides enhanced rights for same-sex couples, including hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will.

According to one legislature who voted "yes" on the measure (an openly gay individual): "Today is a beginning, not an end...It offers the hope that one day, all lesbian and gay families will be treated truly equal under the law." Yep, indeed, it is a beginning. Little by little, these liberals in our legislature are going to grant more and more rights to people who have never had them before, just like the proverbial frog in the kettle. They know exactly what they are doing, but don't have the guts to do it all at once.

Unmarried, heterosexual senior couples will also be eligible to register if one partner is at least 62. Lawmakers said that provision, similar to one in California law, was included to help seniors who are at risk of losing pension rights and Social Security benefits if they remarry.

Since when did unmarried people have the right to claim benefits from someone they are not married to?! Naturally, the legislature found a whole new way of costing us, the taxpayers, more money. Typical.

"This is a very proud moment for me as governor, to make sure the rights of all of our citizens are equal," Gregoire said.

I'm sure that she's proud of what she has done, but we're not proud of her.

People in the crowd cried as Gregoire relayed stories of couples who testified before lawmakers this year about how they have been denied hospital access to dying partners, or were not allowed to plan their funerals.

Gimme a break.

The new law will take effect in July. It comes nearly a year after the state Supreme Court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage in a 5-4 decision, ruling that state lawmakers were justified in passing the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts marriage to unions between a man and woman.

This law hasn't even been funded yet. The committee who's job it is to find money for this law doesn't have to give a report until next January 1. Once again, leave it to the dems to find ways to spend more of OUR money!

Couples can register in person with the secretary of state's office in Olympia, or by mail.

Ooohh...a state registry, granting oversight to a bunch of bureaucrats. And I guarantee a whole bunch of ugly lawsuits are going to be filed by people who don't deserve the privileges of married people.

I think it's an unfortunate step backward, not knowing where it will lead us culturally," said Joseph Fuiten, a Bothell pastor who is the leader of Positive Christian Agenda, a state group of Christian organizations opposed to gay marriage. "Giving marriage-lite benefits without the benefit of marriage strikes me as not a good idea."

I agree. Thank heavens the legislature is finishing their session for the year today. They have already demonstrated to us how undisciplined and irresponsible they are, and finishing up their "lawmaking" today will save us from future outrages. At least this year anyway.