ORE. LAWMAKER WHO SUPPORTED SSM BAN DRAFTING CIVIL UNIONS BILL: From The Advocate

Just a few weeks ago, Oregon state senator Ben Westlund voted yes on Measure 36 to ban same-sex marriages in Oregon. Now, the central Oregon lawmaker is hard at work drafting a civil unions bill for the 2005 legislature to give gay and lesbian couples some of the rights bestowed on married couples. "It's just the right thing to do," the Tumalo Republican says. "Nothing in Measure 36 prevents the legislature from affording equal rights and privileges to same-sex couples." ...

A big question mark is how the Oregon supreme court will rule in a case resulting from Multnomah County's issuing of marriage licenses to nearly 3,000 gay and lesbian couples in March before a judge halted the practice. The supreme court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on December 15, and it's not clear how or whether Measure 36 affects the pending case. Gay rights supporters already have filed briefs urging the court to order the legislature to pass a law creating a civil union alternative to marriage for same-sex couples. Lawmakers aren't obligated to wait for the court, and Westlund said he and others are preparing to take up the challenge on their own. ...

Westlund, for his part, said crafting a civil unions measure won't be an easy task. The Republican senator said that just in the initial stages of drafting his bill, he's found 436 state statutes that relate to marriage that might have to be amended or folded into any civil unions law. "It's going to be an extraordinarily complicated task, but it also will be a huge step forward," he said.

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posted by Eve at 5:09 PM | link

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