Nevada Senate Overrides Veto On Domestic Partners Measure

The Nevada Senate has voted to override Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto of a measure that would give domestic partners, whether gay or straight, many of the rights and benefits that Nevada offers to married couples.

The 14-to-7 Senate vote Saturday, the required two-thirds majority with no votes to spare, must be affirmed by the Assembly for the bill to become law over the governor's objections.

The bill provides that domestic partners have the same rights as married couples in matters like community property and responsibility for debts.

Critics contend that domestic partners can sign private contracts to accomplish many of the goals of the bill, and that it conflicts with the intent of Nevadans who in 2002 approved a constitutional amendment specifying that marriage can be only between a man and a woman.