Bill granting some marriage-like rights passes Senate muster (Salt Lake Tribune)
Controversial legislation that would grant some marriage-like rights to unmarried adults sailed through a Senate committee on Friday without a single opposing comment. In fact, Republican Majority Leader Peter Knudson made the motion to pass it and called it “a fine piece of legislation.” Senate Bill 89 would allow two adults – be it a same-sex couple or a grandmother and granddaughter – to register with the state Health Department and check which benefits they want, including hospital visitation privileges and inheritance.
The bill comes less than three months after voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and restrict benefits in any “domestic union” outside marriage. But Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, says his bill is not in response to that amendment and adds he is not trying to undermine what the voters wanted. But he says the legislation covers a part of Utah’s population that can’t get married but deserves some of those same benefits.
Who’da thunk it? What’s next, school prayer in San Francisco?
via Michael Demmons
