issac the dragon
02-02-2008, 04:52 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120192810441780.xml&coll=7
After years of emotion on the streets and in the Capitol, the fight for gay rights boiled down to a quiet ruling in a federal courtroom on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman's decision means that starting Monday, same-sex couples can start signing up for domestic partnerships, entitling them to most of the duties and benefits that married residents receive.
Friday afternoon, Mosman rejected a lawsuit that sought to block the domestic partnership law passed by the Legislature and force a public vote.
Mosman's decision was a major victory for gay-rights advocates, who have fought for years to gain the rights and protections that married couples enjoy. But the ruling ended up hinging not on the contentious social issue. Rather, it turned on the intricacies of Oregon's 100-year-old system of direct democracy.
"Today's hearing is almost completely and solely about Oregon's referendum process," Mosman said at the start of the daylong hearing. "That's the issue."
The five-hour hearing subjected the signature-verification process to an unprecedented level of scrutiny.
But in the end, Mosman said it passed the test.
"The state has done what it can here," he said.
The law took effect immediately, but so late in the day that county officials won't start accepting registrations until Monday.
Hopefully this will end the matter. The people of Oregon spoke and they deserve to have their laws observed. :akbar
After years of emotion on the streets and in the Capitol, the fight for gay rights boiled down to a quiet ruling in a federal courtroom on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman's decision means that starting Monday, same-sex couples can start signing up for domestic partnerships, entitling them to most of the duties and benefits that married residents receive.
Friday afternoon, Mosman rejected a lawsuit that sought to block the domestic partnership law passed by the Legislature and force a public vote.
Mosman's decision was a major victory for gay-rights advocates, who have fought for years to gain the rights and protections that married couples enjoy. But the ruling ended up hinging not on the contentious social issue. Rather, it turned on the intricacies of Oregon's 100-year-old system of direct democracy.
"Today's hearing is almost completely and solely about Oregon's referendum process," Mosman said at the start of the daylong hearing. "That's the issue."
The five-hour hearing subjected the signature-verification process to an unprecedented level of scrutiny.
But in the end, Mosman said it passed the test.
"The state has done what it can here," he said.
The law took effect immediately, but so late in the day that county officials won't start accepting registrations until Monday.
Hopefully this will end the matter. The people of Oregon spoke and they deserve to have their laws observed. :akbar