Compliance May 10, 2007

Oregon Gov. Approves Domestic Partner Measure

May 10, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed legislation Wednesday that allows domestic partnerships for same-sex couples, affording them at least some of the benefits to which married couples are entitled.
Reported by

In Kulongoski’s signing the measure, Oregon joins Vermont, Connecticut, California,   New Jersey  , Maine and Washington, which now all have laws that allow gay couples to have some of the benefits of marriage and the New Hampshire state legislature has also approved a civil union measure that the governor is expected to sign. Massachusetts allows gay couples to marry (See Massachusetts Court Says Gays Entitled to Marry).

Kulongoski said that the measure would “transform our state from one of exclusion to one of complete inclusion,” the Associated Press reported.

According to the AP, such measures have come up for vote in Oregon before, but have always been smothered until this year. The new law will allow same-sex couples to enter into contractual relationships that carry many of the benefits offered to married couples.

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