WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, said he supports allowing states to decide whether to allow civil unions for same-sex couples. Frist told reporters last week states should "determine whether or not civil unions are appropriate for that state." Only Vermont has approved civil unions, which extend marriage-like rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples at the state level. California, Hawaii and New Jersey also grant various state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples registered as domestic partners. Like Frist, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., also said states should decide "whether and to what extent there may be civil unions."
Posted by Editor at July 22, 2004 01:24 PM
