Washington Keeps Expanded DP Rights

The Approve Ref 71 campaign says final results won't be in until some time today, but things are looking good in Washington as voters have decided to keep intact the state's latest expansion of domestic-partnership rights.

Washingtonians seem to have narrowly approved Referendum 71 with 51% voting yes and allowing the latest "everything but marriage" domestic-partnership bill to stand. That bill, the state's third iteration of domestic partnership rights, was passed by the legislature this year and signed into law in May by Democratic governor Christine Gregoire.

Now Washington's domestic partners -- both gay and straight -- will be granted new parity in probate and trust laws, community property, and guardianship. Domestic partners already were provided inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, and the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations thanks to earlier domestic-partnership bills.

The conservative effort to roll back the latest domestic-partnership bill was justified by the argument that it was setting the stage for same-sex marriage. Another issue to be settled is the effort to release the names of people who signed petitions to get this issue on the ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against making those names public for now, as it considers whether to hear the case involving the matter.