Civil union benefits to end at state line

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Although a law signed Dec. 21 by Gov. Jon Corzine promises same-sex couples who form civil unions "all of the same benefits, protections and responsibilities" that flow from marriage, it comes with a giant asterisk.

It really means all of the state benefits of marriage. Like Massachusetts, New Jersey is powerless to grant same-sex couples the benefits that federal law bestows on married heterosexuals. And federal law does not recognize same-sex partnerships, regardless of whether they are labeled "marriages" or "civil unions."

"There are a plethora of federal rights that are significant that remain denied," said Elizabeth Cooper, a professor at Fordham Law School.