Bill on Civil Unions Moves Forward in New Jersey

TRENTON, Dec. 11 — A bill establishing civil unions in New Jersey that would extend the legal benefits of marriage to same-sex couples was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

The full Senate and Assembly are expected to vote on the measure Thursday, 10 days after it was introduced.

...

Steven Goldstein, the chairman of Garden State Equality, the organization leading the campaign for full-fledged marriage for same-sex couples, said of the legislation: “It’s not marriage equality. We’re terribly disappointed. But you could call this civil unions plus.”

Mr. Goldstein said the New Jersey legislation, unlike laws in Connecticut and Vermont that legalized same-sex unions, did not include language defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He also noted that the New Jersey legislation would establish a commission to monitor the working of the new law for compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/nyregion/12sex.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Thanks, but no thanks. Full equality, or shove it up your collective butt America. I have had it with injustice and inequality.

in NJ? What are the fine points of the differences?

They're like CA's before an expansion a couple years ago: they provide for hospital visitation, medical decision-making, and next-of-kin status and I think that's about it. It doesn't accrue tax benefits and help insure medical dependent coverage. It doesn't have the same benefits with unemployment insurance, not having to testify against one's spouse, and hundreds of other things big and small. The new unions would be marriage-equivalent except for areas under federal jurisdiction.