Washington Governor To Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Gov. Chris Gregoire said Wednesday she wants Washington to become the seventh state in the nation to make gay marriage legal.

She said at a news conference she’ll introduce legislation that, if passed, would allow same-sex marriage in Washington state.

In November, a coalition called Washington United for Marriage announced it would lobby the Legislature to approve a gay marriage this year.

In 2009 the Legislature passed, and voters later upheld, a bill that greatly expanded the rights of same-sex domestic partners. That measure was known as the “everything but marriage” bill. Nearly 19,000 people in Washington state are registered as domestic partners.

KOMOTV.com helped in the coverage of this story.