COLUMBUS,
Ohio
(AP)
—
The
state’s
new
far-reaching
gay
marriage
ban
could
rob
institutions
such
as
Ohio
State
University
of
the
edge
they
have
in
recruiting
top
talent,
the
university
says.
Gov.
Bob
Taft
signed
the
bill
Feb.
6,
saying
its
adoption
was
urgent
because
the
nation’s
first
legally
sanctioned
same-sex
weddings
could
occur
as
early
as
this
spring
in
Massachusetts.
Ohio’s
bill
also
prohibits
state
employees
from
getting
marital
benefits
spelled
out
in
state
law
for
their
unmarried
partners,
whether
homosexual
or
heterosexual.
Only
state
employees
who
negotiate
such
benefits
in
collective
bargaining
contracts
will
be
allowed
to
get
them.
Taft,
who
signed
the
bill
in
private,
issued
a
rare
statement
explaining
his
reasons.
“It
is
necessary
for
us
to
act
now
to
safeguard
Ohio’s
marriage
laws,”
Taft
said.
“Ohio
could
have
same-sex
couples
who
were
‘married’
in
Massachusetts
taking
legal
action
in
Ohio
to
recognize
that
marriage
and
to
obtain
the
resulting
benefits.”
Taft,
a
Republican,
denied
assertions
that
the
law
promotes
intolerance.
He
said
families
and
parents
need
an
environment
that
offers
“children,
and
ultimately
our
society,
the
best
opportunity
to
thrive.”
DENVER
(AP)
—
Upset
over
decisions
on
gay
marriage,
school
vouchers,
congressional
redistricting
and
the
Pledge
of
Allegiance,
Colorado
Republicans
are
backing
plans
that
would
allow
much
greater
scrutiny
of
judges
and
subject
them
to
term
limits.
The
legislation
comes
amid
a
national
campaign
by
Colorado
Springs-based
Focus
on
the
Family
and
other
conservative
groups
that
urges
lawmakers
to
crack
down
on
so-called
activist
judges.
“I’ve
felt
for
a
long
time
that
we
need
a
better
balance
between
the
independence
and
accountability
of
our
judges,”
said
state
Senate
President
John
Andrews
(R-Centennial).
The
National
Conference
of
State
Legislatures,
a
nonpartisan
research
group,
doesn’t
have
details
on
legislative
efforts
aimed
at
judges
in
other
states.
But
experts
note
that
President
Bush
has
complained
about
activist
judges
several
times.
Last
week,
after
Massachusetts’
highest
court
said
gays
are
free
to
marry,
Bush
warned
he
may
end
up
backing
a
constitutional
amendment
to
ban
gay
marriage
being
proposed
by
Rep.
Marilyn
Musgrave
(R-Colo.).
PHOENIX
(AP)
—
A
bill
endorsed
last
week
by
a
state
Senate
committee
would
allow
registered
domestic
partners
to
make
health
decisions
for
patients
unable
to
do
that
for
themselves.
The
Health
Committee
voted
7-2
for
the
bill
(SB1203),
which
also
must
clear
the
Family
Services
Committee
before
reaching
the
full
Senate.
State
law
already
specifies
that
spouses,
adult
children,
siblings
and
close
friends
can
serve
as
health
care
surrogates
to
be
consulted
by
health
care
providers
if
the
patient
has
not
made
other
legal
arrangements
or
appointments
for
that
purpose.
Last
year,
Tucson
became
the
first
Arizona
city
to
provide
a
registry
for
domestic
partners,
and
Republican
Sen.
Toni
Hellon
said
she
was
“proud
to
be
from
a
city
that
recognizes
there
are
loving
commitments
out
there
of
all
kinds.”
SALT
LAKE
CITY
(AP)
—
A
House
committee
last
week
endorsed
a
bill
that
would
ban
gay
marriage.
The
bill
defines
marriage
as
between
a
man
and
a
woman
and
prohibits
recognition
of
same-sex
marriages,
common
law
marriage
or
civil
unions
allowed
in
other
states.
Its
sponsor
is
Sen.
Chris
Buttars
(R-West
Jordan).
Buttars
noted
the
recent
Massachusetts
high
court
ruling
that
firmly
upheld
the
right
of
gay
people
in
that
state
to
marry.
“But
we’re
in
Utah,”
he
said.
“I
do
not
believe
we’re
bound
by
the
liberal
values
in
other
states.”
As
he
has
in
previous
presentations
and
debates,
Buttars
urged
lawmakers
not
to
fret
over
likely
constitutional
challenges
to
the
bill.
“I
would
hope
...
you
don’t
allow
yourselves
to
be
held
hostage
to
any
such
threats,”
he
said.
Rep.
LaVar
Christensen,
who
is
sponsoring
a
bill
that
would
amend
the
Utah
Constitution
to
ban
same-sex
marriage,
cautioned
the
committee
about
“democratic
despotism”
of
activist
courts
that
trump
the
will
of
the
people.
SANTA
FE
(AP)
—
The
House
voted
last
week
to
restore
to
tens
of
thousands
of
New
Mexico
workers
the
anti-discrimination
protections
that
were
accidentally
erased
last
year.
A
divided
House
also
agreed
that
the
gay
rights
section
of
the
Human
Rights
Act
—
which
is
already
law
—
should
apply
to
businesses
with
four
or
more
workers.
Currently,
only
companies
with
15
or
more
workers
must
comply
with
the
provision,
which
prohibits
discrimination
based
on
sexual
orientation
or
gender
identity.
The
bill
was
approved
38-25
over
the
protests
of
lawmakers
who
said
it
would
leave
small
businesses
open
to
lawsuits
that
were
expensive
to
defend
even
if
they
were
groundless.
“If
we’re
talking
about
protection,
we’ve
got
to
look
at
the
employers’
protection
as
well,”
said
Rep.
Donald
Bratton
(R-Hobbs).
Supporters
of
the
bill
argued
that
last
year’s
mistake
left
34
percent
of
the
state’s
private
sector
businesses
outside
the
law.
