At home, Debra Johnson and Barb Gregg are like any other other parents.

But their 9-year-old kids, Chloe and Matthew, "call us both 'Mom,' " said Johnson, a city administrator.

And when it comes to the "simple day-to-day stuff" in the outside world, Johnson said, she and Gregg run a gantlet of legal hurdles.

Gregg is Matthew's biological mom, and Johnson adopted Chloe in Russia four years ago; neither woman is legally the parent of the other's child.

This creates hassles: Neither mom can sign school permission slips for the other's child, for example.

But it also affects the big stuff. State law can thwart their ability to make life- and-death decisions about their children.

"Every morning my partner, Barb, drives the children to school.

"What if there were an accident?

"Will Chloe get the immediate medical care that she deserves, given that there isn't the proper legal parent to give that medical authorization?" Johnson told state lawmakers.

"Every time I go out of town, I sign a medical authorization so Barb can authorize immediate medical care if Chloe needs it," Johnson said.

"Presume Barb or I pass away . . . our wills clearly state who we would desire to have custody of our children," Johnson said.

But gay parents' rights have faced hostility in the courts, she said, "and wills are contested in court much easier than adoption rights."

"I'm here on behalf of Matthew and Chloe," the mother testified.

"My children deserve to know that their relationships with both of their parents are stable and legally recognized."

Passage of the Second Parent Adoption Bill, she said, would give "children the psychological and legal serenity that comes with having two willing, caring and loving parents."