[JURIST] Connecticut's Joint Committee on the Judiciary [official website] has approved a bill [committee meeting minutes] that will allow civil unions for same-sex couples. If the bill is approved by the full House and Senate and the governor, Connecticut would join Vermont as the only two states extending the rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples. Under the proposed bill, An Act Concerning Marriage Equality [text; bill status summary], same-sex couples who have entered into a civil union will be allowed to file joint state tax returns, qualify for a partner's health insurance and inherit a partner's property without paying taxes. The Judiciary Committee provides additional legislative materials, including background reports and testimony of expert witnesses. Thursday's Hartford Courant has more.