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N.H. lawmakers approves civil unions for gay couples

CONCORD, N.H. (AP and wire reports) – New Hampshire lawmakers voted Thursday to authorize civil unions and sent the measure to Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week that he would sign it.
"This legislation is a matter of conscience, fairness and of preventing discrimination," said Colin Manning, a spokesman for the Democratic governor. "It is in keeping with New Hampshire's proud tradition of preventing discrimination."
Three other states already offer civil unions for gay couples: New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont. Neighboring Massachusetts in 2004 became the only state to allow gay marriage.
Unlike other states, there was no active court challenge to push New Hampshire to act on the issue.
In fact, the success of civil unions was an about-face from two years earlier, when a study panel recommended New Hampshire giving no meaningful consideration to extending legal recognition to gay couples.
That panel had concluded that homosexuality was a choice, and it endorsed a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman. State lawmakers have defeated proposed constitutional bans on same-sex marriage two years in a row.
Thursday's legislation, passed 14-10 along party lines in the Senate – Democrats in favor, Republicans opposed – will allow civil unions in New Hampshire starting Jan. 1. Earlier in the month the state House voted 243 to 129, passing its version of the civil unions legislation.
"New Hampshire has taken a significant step in giving all families the equal state rights, responsibilities and protections they need," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "Thanks to the Legislature, Governor John Lynch and countless supporters of fairness across the state, New Hampshire families are significantly more protected today than they were yesterday."
The bill would provide important and much-needed real-world protections, including hospital visitation, medical decision-making and inheritance rights for New Hampshire's same-sex couples.
Lynch has pledged to sign the bill, which would make New Hampshire the fourth state to recognize civil unions and the ninth to provide some level of protection to committed same-sex couples. Massachusetts provides equal marriage rights; Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey recognize civil unions; California has domestic partner benefits that provide nearly all the state-level benefits of marriage; Hawaii has a reciprocal beneficiaries law; and Maine, Washington and the District of Columbia provide registered domestic partners some level of critical protection. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer this week pledged to introduce gay marriage legislation in the next few weeks.

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