Wash. House Approves Rights to Couples Married Elsewhere

Friday night Washington State house members approved a bill to recognize same-sex marriages from out of state as valid domestic partnerships in Washington. The bill, approved 58-39, now moves to the senate.

The bill sponsor, Democratic representative Laurie Jinkins, says the bill corrects the biased exclusion of same-sex couples from the protections afforded opposite sex couples. Washington State votes approved a measure in 2009 that gives domestic partners in the state all the rights and protections of married couples.

"This bill is about fairness for all families," Jinkins said. "Right now, there's a hole in the law ... This is not a big deal -- we're not extending any new rights."

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