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SALT LAKE CITY -- New state Sen. Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake City, wants to let gay couples and nontraditional families have more rights.
Right now, only a parent or spouse can bring a lawsuit in the case of a wrongful death. McAdams wants to let gay couples, unmarried siblings, grandparents, etc., be able to do the same.
"In the case of my wife and I, if one of us were to be killed in an accident because of the negligence of another person, the surviving spouse would be able to bring a lawsuit to recover for that negligence," McAdams explains. "Under current state law that only applies to a spouse or parent or child who could bring that wrongful death claim."
McAdams is continuing where his predecessor Sen. Scott McCoy left off and says he thinks this is in line with family values.
"Families are unique, and we have many non-traditional families. But at the end of the day, they are all families," McAdams says. "We need to recognize these families and provide some support and some benefit for them."
McAdams says this would not be a step on the way to gay marriage in Utah, because Amendment 3 to the state constitution prohibits it.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
