Nevada legislature overrides Governor Jim Gibbons' veto of domestic parternship legislation

06/01/09 Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Under the new law, same-sex and opposite-sex couples can go to the secretary of state's office, sign a registry, pay a fee and secure a domestic partnership contract that essentially gives them the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples.

This domestic partnership law has been enacted even though Nevada bans same-sex marriage under its constitution (Art. I, Sec. 21). Especially under circumstances of a constitutional ban, such laws can (arguably) advance the long-term cause of marriage, even if the result is to establish state recognition of a parallel family relationship that, until last week, the California Supreme Court considered separate and unequal.

Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, said of yesterday's override:

"This is a proud day in Nevada history. With its override, our Legislature has put our state on the side of a growing movement seeking to honor this country's promise that everyone of us is entitled to equal treatment under the law."