Despite fierce opposition and deceptive television commercials from the religious right, a domestic partnership bill has passed the Washington state senate and is headed to the House:

"Not since the Legislature debated and passed the state's Defense ofMarriage Act a decade ago, defining marriage as between one man and onewoman, has a gay-rights issue generated such frenzy in Olympia. Religious and traditional-values groups are waging campaigns toderail the measure, which passed 30-18 Tuesday night. In commercialsbroadcast on cable outlets and posted on YouTube, in a newspaper ad,and through phone calls to state lawmakers, they're targetinglegislators and voters in swing districts, warning that the billredefines traditional marriage. They've packed legislative hearings and flooded the offices of statelawmakers with telephone calls. They plan a rally in Olympia next weekto get their message across."

The bill was introduced in January by openly gay Senator Ed Murray and (the House version) openly gay Rep. Jamie Pedersen.

Said Murray: "Morally, we hope this discussion leads to marriage. Legally it does not. My partner and I have been together 18 years and would love theopportunity to marry. Domestic partnership is as close as we can getwithout being granted marriage."

There are 5,111 couples already registered in the state's domestic partner registry, according to the Seattle Times, and the bill would extend "marriage-like" benefits to them: "Under Senate Bill 5688 and its companion, House Bill 1727, allremaining areas of state law that now speak only to married coupleswould be amended to provide domestic partners benefits in such areas asworkers' compensation, pension, unemployment and the use of sick leaveto care for one another. The bills would also require same-sex partners to go through the same process as married couples when dissolving their unions. The measures would not confer federal benefits to registereddomestic partners — such as filing a joint income-tax return — and inmost other states, these Washington benefits would be invalid."

The House bill appears ready to pass easily, according to Slog.

One of the deceptive ads the religious right has been running, AFTER THE JUMP…