Washington State came one step closer to equality yesterday.

Governor Chris Gregoire signed the recently expanded domestic partnership bill into law. Said Gregoire: "This bill is about protecting and helping Washington families. It simply gives these families the same rights as everybody else. It's the right thing to do." Well, that's not entirely true. Sure, the new DP's give gays 170 new rights, but come nowhere near marriage.

The bill's sponsor, Representative Jamie Pedersen realizes there's still more ground to cover: Domestic partners still lack the vast majority of the protections that married couples take for granted in Washington state. This law, Pedersen says, is the "next step in addressing that injustice."