Domestic partnership law may expand

The Sacramento Bee has an interesting story today on a proposal to expand the state's domestic partnership law. It would allow any heterosexual couple to register a domestic partnership. They would then get all the legal rights of married couples.

The current domestic partnership law gives the legal rights of marriage to gay and lesbian couples.

There's the standard the-sky-is-falling reaction:

Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, which lobbies for conservatives causes, warned that if SB 11 becomes law, "marriage will be functionally abolished" in California.

...aaand the standard this-is-about-equality response:

Jessica Heskin and Bob Stephens, who live in an unincorporated area of Sacramento, are typical of the couples [Sen. Carole] Migden has in mind. Heskin and Stephens, both 41, have lived together for two years and are raising Heskin's 11-year-old daughter, Alyssa, by a previous marriage. Heskin, who testified earlier before a Senate committee in support of SB 11, said "it's not only taxes, it's basic rights" equity the legislation would ensure.

As someone who tends to be poth pro-marriage and pro-domestic-partnership, this proposal feels weird to me. I like the idea of expanding the law to include hetero couples, but... practical reasons for getting married do seem to be getting gradually more sparse. I don't know. Your thoughts?