Governor has said he will veto bill
CARSON CITY, Nevada — A Nevada bill giving domestic partners many of the rights and benefits the state offers to married couples is headed to the governor’s desk.
After the Tuesday, May 19 voice vote in the Senate, the measure heads to Gov. Jim Gibbons. The Republican governor has threatened to veto it.
The bill provides that domestic partners have the same rights as married couples in matters such as community property and responsibility for debts. It applies to both gay and straight couples.
Critics say domestic partners could sign private contracts to accomplish many of the measure’s goals. They say it conflicts with the intent of Nevadans who voted in 2002 for a constitutional amendment supporting marriage between a man and a woman.
California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have domestic partnership laws that offer many of the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.