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By BRAD CAIN
Associated Press Writer
SALEM, Ore. - Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he will push for a civil unions bill in the 2005 Legislature to give gay and lesbian couples some of the rights bestowed on married couples.

Kulongoski's pledge to back a civil unions law expands on his announcement in January that he would support legislation extending anti-discrimination protections to gays and lesbians.

The Democratic governor said Wednesday that he is working with a bipartisan group of senators on a bill that combines a proposed civil unions law with the anti-discrimination provisions.

"As I stated in January, we face a great moral challenge to make sure opportunity is an open door through which every citizen can pass - not a revolving door which turns for some and doesn't budge for others," he said.

Kulongoski's announcement comes as the Oregon Supreme Court is preparing to rule on a challenge of the state's marriage law. That ruling is expected soon.

The legal limbo over that court challenge had kept Senate Democrats from pushing bills that create civil unions and advance gay rights.

But Kulongoski said Wednesday he is moving ahead on the civil unions and anti-discrimination legislation. The bill is co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. Kate Brown of Portland and Alan Bates of Ashland and Republican Sens. Frank Morse of Albany and Ben Westlund of Bend.

The state's leading gay rights group, Basic Rights Oregon, praised the governor's decision to move ahead on civil unions legislation.

"All Oregonians should take pride today in Gov. Kulongoski's tremendous public and personal commitment to ending discrimination," said Roey Thorpe, the group's executive director.

Republican leaders in the House had no immediate reaction to Kulongoski's announcement that he was backing civil unions legislation, said Chuck Deister, a spokesman for House Speaker Karen Minnis.

However, Deister said last week that House Republicans would wait to see how the state Supreme Court rules before moving on the issue.

In March 2004, Multnomah County issued marriage licenses to nearly 3,000 gay and lesbian couples before Circuit Judge Frank Bearden put a stop to the practice.

In his ruling, Bearden set a 90-day deadline for the 2005 Legislature to fix the problem by adopting a civil unions law.

That deadline was Saturday, but the state Department of Justice said it was not enforceable because Oregon voters in November amended the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

In Wednesday's announcement, Kulongoski said the civil unions bill he's now pushing would confer on same-sex couples the legal protections, rights and responsibilities generally afforded to married couples.

The bill also would amend Oregon's existing anti-discrimination laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, public accommodation, education and public services.

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