Gov. Pawlenty vetoes gay-rights bill

Pawlenty vetoes gay-rights bill

 

Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill Saturday that would have given same-sex partners the right to decide what to do with the body of their loved ones, should they die.

Pawlenty had said he would veto the bill, calling it unnecessary because partners can draw up a living will. But advocates argue that married couples do not have to do that and that legal documents often cost money to draft.

The "Final Wishes" bill would have been the second one supported by Project 515 to be passed into law. The group is named after the 515 Minnesota laws it says discriminate against same-sex couples, though the group is not seeking marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

Pawlenty signed a bill last year that protects jointly owned homes from being sold to cover state medical bills should one partner die. Those protections already existed for married couples.

— Jason Hoppin