A domestic partner registry legally recognizing same-sex couples may be included in the budget Governor Jim Doyle will deliver Tuesday, sources familiar with the budget plan told the Wisconsin State Journal.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the amount of benefits that the registry would grant domestic partners is unknown.
Several other states have a domestic partner registry. The registry in Washington state grants domestic partners the same rights as spouses in regard to hospital visitation and property rights and gives them legal recognition as domestic partners, according to the Washington State Legislature website.
Dane County, the city of Madison and the city of Milwaukee currently offer same or opposite sex domestic partner registries.
Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment in 2006 banning same-sex marriages, but, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, the registry would not conflict with this amendment and would be administered at the county level.
