Gay Funeral Planning Rights Vetoed in RI

Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have given same-sex couples in Rhode Island the right to plan funerals for deceased partners.

The socially conservative Republican said the proposed protection represents a "disturbing trend" of the incremental erosion of heterosexual marriage, reports the Associated Press. Rhode Island does not recognize same-sex marriage.

The bill would have added domestic partners to the list of people who can legally make funeral arrangements for a deceased individual.

"If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnership, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of Rhode Island decide," Carcieri said in a letter to lawmakers.

Sen. Rhoda Perry and Rep. David Segal, the bill's sponsors, said they would seek to override the veto. Currently, Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in the state legislature and have successfully overridden a number of Carcieri's vetoes.