Washington State
lawmakers introduce same-sex marriage bill

A group of gay Washington State lawmakers on Thursday proposed two pieces of legislation, one that would legalize marriage for gay couples and another that would provide domestic partnerships.

During a press conference, the legislature's five openly gay legislators released the details of the same-sex marriage and domestic-partnership bills they plan to introduce on Tuesday, Spokesman-Review.com reports. "I don't think it's going to be a long time" before the state sees same-sex marriage, said Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat. "This is not 1977."

Gaining approval for same-sex marriage may be politically impossible in the state this year, Murray and the others conceded, so domestic partnerships may have to serve as a half measure for now. "People's hearts and minds are changing on these issues," said Rep. Jim Moeller, a Democrat from Vancouver. (The Advocate)