MINNESOTA: Gov. Tim Pawlenty Vows To Veto Burial Rights For Gay Couples

Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty vows that he will veto a bill allowing gay couples to make burial decisions for their partners, saying that such a right is unnecessary.

Supporters balked at the governor's rationale, saying his suggestion that same-sex couples could achieve the same rights through a will still leaves gays on unequal footing with their heterosexual counterparts — married couples have those rights without a will. "He's wrong," asserted Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, a House sponsor of the bill. The bill is the product of Project 515, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians named after the number of Minnesota laws the group says discriminate against same-sex couples. The group is not pursuing marriage rights for same-sex couples. Project 515 got its first bill passed last year, which protected the homes of the surviving partner of a cohabitating couple should the state try to force a sale to cover the deceased's medical bills. Pawlenty signed it. The new bill gives same-sex partners the right to make decisions about how to dispose of a deceased partner's body — something gay couples say is needed because some gays and lesbians are estranged from their immediate families.

Pawlenty announced earlier this year that he won't be seeking a third term as Minnesota governor. Many expect that he will run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.