Things happening across the river

New Jersey takes some bold progressive steps, although at least partly for purely practical reasons: First, they passed a series of domestic partnership measures, one of which extends to homosexual couples the same protections over inheritance rights and funeral arrangements that exist for heterosexual marriages, and one of which allows all governmental units to extend health benefits to gay partners. These bills joined a number of others finished under the wire by the lame-duck congress. Second, they voted to suspend executions under the state death penalty due to concerns about the system's fairness as well as its administrative and legal costs. A report is required by November.

In (geographically) related news, the inter-state spat over dredging in the Delaware River continues acrimonious, with PA Governor Rendell threatening to shut down all operations of the Delaware River Port Authority, including collecing tolls on the bridges and running PATCO (which links PA and NJ via rail). I am a rock, I am an island... Background on the dispute is provided at the link. Perhaps the inauguration of Democrat Corzine will allow more productive negotiations to take place.