Despite dissent, senators OK new domestic partner rights

Domestic partners would get new rights to visit their mates in hospitals and make medical decisions for them in a bill that passed the Maryland Senate on Tuesday by a 30-17 vote.

With efforts to approve civil unions or gay marriage stalled, the legislation was a further attempt to extend the rights married people enjoy to couples of either gender in a long-term committed relationship of mutual dependence or support, whether homosexual or not.