CA DOMESTIC-PARTNER LAW UNDER FIRE: From the Palm Springs Desert Sun

Activists trying to overturn state laws granting major legal rights and obligations to domestic partners Friday announced a new two-track legal and political strategy. The challengers said they will appeal a trial court decision that upheld the law, which primarily takes effect Jan. 1, and will try to recall the judge who rendered the trial court decision.

"This (trial court) judge has not jealously guarded the vote of the people to protect marriage," said Randy Thomasson, executive director of Campaign for California Families, an advocacy group. "This is gay marriage by another name," he said of the targeted laws.

Steve Hansen, lobbyist for Equality California, said the recall was a spiteful reaction to losing the case. "Because they didn’t win, they are going after the character of this judge rather than the issues brought up in his ruling," Hansen said.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster, who upheld the domestic partner laws and is the recall target, had no comment Friday on the campaign to unseat him. But Attorney General Bill Lockyer condemned the recall bid for trying, in his words, to reduce judges to being "political weather vanes." ...

At issue are the sweeping Assembly Bill 205 and the narrower AB 25. A statewide domestic partner registry was established in 1999 and AB 205 expands the rights and responsibilities of registrants so they are similar but not equal to married couples.

Among the issues covered by AB 205 are community property ownership; child custody, visitation and financial support; autopsy and burial of remains of a deceased partner; health insurance coverage, pension rights and family and medical leave; mutual responsibility for debts to third parties, and state government-regulated benefits like workers’ compensation. These rights also apply to unmarried seniors who register as domestic partners.

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