California's Supreme Court stood up for domestic partner rights yesterday:

…In a major victory for same-sex couples, the California Supreme Court denied a petition by county assessors seeking review of a California Court of Appeal decision affirming the validity of basic property tax protections for domestic partners. The Court’s decision means that the validity of these protections is now secure. No further appeals are possible.

Equality California Executive Direcotr Geoff Kors celebrated the news, saying,

We are very pleased with the Court’s ruling today, reaffirming that a surviving domestic partner should not lose the family home because he or she must pay taxes that a surviving married spouse does not… The fact that this lawsuit moved forward in the first place further illustrates the need to grant same-sex couples the ability to marry in California. Then we would not have to waste time and tax-payer money to defend these kinds of very sensible and vital protections.

Too bad right wingers won't see it that way: we're sure they'll come up with some other time wasting plot to stem people's rights.