On Friday, I sent a letter to RI House and Senate leadership asking them to override Gov. Carcieri’s veto of the bills that would allow a domestic partner to make funeral arrangements for their partner. From the letter:
I write to strongly encourage you to override the Governor’s veto of H-5294 and S-195B, bills that would allow a domestic partner to make funeral arrangements for the deceased.
It is a fundamental right in our society to grieve for the loss of a loved one in a way that matches personal beliefs and honors the deceased. Respect for rites of passage surrounding death is one of the few instances in which there is virtually universal acceptance of the principle that comfort and compassion should be paramount. Nearly every facet of society, whether governmental, commercial, or social, embraces and supports the need for human beings to have self-determination in their expressions of grieving. We now know that the laws of the State of Rhode Island are out of sync with this societal need, at least as it relates to domestic partners' ability to fulfill the final wishes for funeral observances of a loved one. This year, the assembly wisely moved to close that gap and provide a compassionate solution that allows a person in a committed, interdependent relationship to make funeral arrangements for a deceased loved one.
The Governor's veto of this compassionate legislation must not stand. He has confused the issue. This legislation addresses the simple human right of domestic partners to fulfill the wishes of their partner for funeral observances. Although I have long supported the right of same sex couples to marry, this legislation is not about gay marriage. In his veto the Governor cites concerns about sufficiency of the standard by which the legislation would determine whether a domestic partner has established sufficient evidence of a domestic partnership to proceed with funeral arrangements for a deceased loved one. These same standards have been in use for years, administered by the Governor's own Department of Administration, without controversy or difficulty, to administer the health and life insurance benefits for state employees, to cite just one example. There is no merit to the suggestion that the domestic partnership standard already carefully crafted by the General Assembly, and successfully employed in a variety of settings for years, should be invalid for purposes of authorizing funeral planning for a deceased domestic partner and yet is sufficient to determine who should receive the employment benefits of that same person while living.
Guaranteeing a grieving Rhode Islander, whether gay or straight, married or unmarried, the right to bury a loved one is simply the right thing to do, and I applaud your decision to pass this compassionate legislation. Please override the Governor’s veto and secure this basic human right for all Rhode Islanders.