Washington state lawmakers are trying to get an "Everything but marriage" bill passed that would give gay couples all the rights of marriage, but under the title "domestic partnership."

The bill would address state statues ranging from labor and employment, to hospital visitation rights, to pensions and other public employee benefits. Democratic Rep. Jaime Pedersen, who is sponsoring the measure in the House, said that although this would be a step in the right direction, it is still an "inadequate substitute for marriage. Our hope is that the continuing success of this legislation helps people understand what marriage is, and that it gets them more comfortable with treating all families with equality dignity and respect." Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, California and Oregon have similar laws in effect, only Massachusetts and Connecticut currently allow same-sex marriages. [Seattle Times]

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