Domestic partnership bill to be heard in Senate

OLYMPIA – The Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow, Jan. 25, on legislation to provide same-sex domestic partners rights in areas such as health care decision-making, hospital visitation, death and inheritance issues, organ donation, and powers of attorney.

The proposal, Senate Bill 5336, is sponsored by Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, who will testify before the committee.

“Legal protections, rights and benefits based on marital status are found in at least 423 state statutes, and most of these are denied to same-sex couples,” said Murray. “In effect, the law is telling these couples that they are simply not families. But in reality – the reality where two people care for one another, live together, make household decisions together, form life goals together, grow old together – these couples are families.”

Murray said the committee will hear from some of these families, including Charlene Strong, whose partner Kate Fleming drowned after a flash flood in Madison Valley in Seattle trapped her in her basement during last month’s storm. Strong will testify about her lack of legal rights in making arrangements after the death of her long-term partner.

The hearing will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the John A. Cherberg Building.

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