States allowing civil unions/same-sex marriage

May 27, 2009

Same-sex marriage:

• MASSACHUSETTS: 5/17/04: (1st state) to legalize same-sex marriage. 6/14/07: Legislature upheld the Supreme Court ruling — legal until at least 2012. 7/15/08: Out-of-Sate couples can marry.

• CONNECTICUT Supreme Court: 10/10/08: 4 to 3 decision, overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriage (2rd state)

• IOWA: 8/31/07: Iowa District Court ruled same-sex couples could marry. 4/3/09: Iowa Supreme Court unanimously upheld ruling, making Iowa the (3rd state) to allow same-sex marriages.

• VERMONT: 2/20/99: (1st state) to grant civil unions under then Gov. Howard Dean. Went into effect July 1, 2000. 4/7/09: House 100 – 49 and Senate 25 – 5 overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto making it the (4th state) to allow same-sex marriage and the (1st state) to allow gay marriage through legislative action. Goes into effect September 1, 2009.

• MAINE: 5/6/09: House passed 89 – 57 and Senate 21 – 13. Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. (5th state). Takes effect September 14

Same-sex civil unions:

• NEW HAMPSHIRE: 4/29/09: Passed in the Senate 13 – 11 and House 186-179. Needs to passed through the House again and signed by Gov Lynch.

• NEW YORK: 5/13/09: The State Assembly passed a bill 82 – 52 in favor of same-sex marriage. Pending Senate and Gov Paterson approval.

• NEW JERSEY: 12/21/96 Gov Corzine signs bill legalizing civil unions in New Jersey, Went into effect 2/19/07.

Domestic Partnerships

• OREGON: 5/9/07 Governor Ted Kulongoski signed the domestic partnership, which grants nearly all of the state-recognized rights of marriage to same-sex couples Went into effect 2/1/08. No need for a ceremony. Recognized only in Oregon.

• WASHINGTON: Domestic partnership 11 rights of marriage act (over 62 y/o) passed 4/10/07, signed by Governor Christine Gregoire 4/21//07, went into effect on 7/22/07. 2008 expanded to 160 rights: passed 3/4/08, signed 3/12/-08, took effect 6/12/08. 2009 expanded to “all areas, except marriage” signed 5/18/09.

• CALIFORNIA: 5/15/08: California Supreme Court overturns the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. 6/16/08: Same-sex marriage legal. 11/5/08: Proposition 8 takes effect in California, banning new same-sex marriage licenses from being issued. 5/26/9: California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, and upheld the marriage rights of 18,000 same-sex couples.

Recognizes same-sex marriages:

• DC: 4/7/09: The 13-member D.C. Council moved to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples married in states where same-sex marriage is legal.

In the process:

• HAWAII: 1997 Reciprocal beneficiary registration confers basic rights for any adults who are prohibited by state law from marrying: inheritance rights, workers compensation, the right to sue for wrongful death, health insurance and pension benefits for state employees, hospital visitation, and healthcare decisionmaking.

• ILLINOIS: 5/26/09House approves measure to allow same-sex civil unions.

• RHODE ISLAND : 1/29/09 bill introduced to legalize same-sex marriage at the same time as one prohibiting same-sex marriage and one creating Reciprocal Beneficiary Agreement.