In the midst of all the news and Prop-8 aftermath, I just wanted to make sure that this particular bit of news wasn't lost in the shuffle.
The Nevada state legislature has voted to approve same-sex domestic partnerships. Marriage? No. But a step in the right direction? Absolutely.
CNN reports:
The Assembly voted 28-14 to override Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto of a domestic partner bill, said Kathy Alden of the chief clerk's office.
With the vote, Nevada will extend most of the rights given to married couples to couples in domestic partnerships, including those of the same sex.
This follows the state Senate's vote to override the veto which happened on Saturday. That legislative body voted to override the veto by a margin of 14-7.
I'd like to point out the margins of the two votes: 14-7 in the Senate and 28-14 in the Assembly. In both cases, a two-thirds majority of votes was needed for the veto override, and in both cases, the vote passed without a single vote to spare. Had just one person in the Assembly or Senate gone the other way, this bill would not have passed. (Elections matter - the local ones too!)
This does not go as far as marriage in terms of guaranteeing rights, but it is a big step forward, as noted by The Daily Record:
The bill provides that domestic partners have the same rights as married couples in matters such as community property and responsibility for debts. It also prohibits discrimination against domestic partners.
Perhaps of greater note is that it is another step forward in the march toward equality, in a state that is not known for being a "traditional" liberal state. And it is another case of the representatives of the people taking the initiative to provide more rights to citizens, rather than waiting for the courts to do it.
So I'd like to offer my congratulations to the state of Nevada. Each step forward is one step closer to equality.