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 Nevada Moves To Give Public Workers Domestic
Partner Benefits
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 14, 2008 - 3:00 pm ET
(Carson City, Nevada) The same-sex partners of
workers in the civil service in Nevada could soon have health and insurance
benefits.
The board of the Nevada Public Employees Benefits Program
has voted to expand coverage to unmarried couples and their dependents.
The measure, which includes same-and opposite-sex
couples who live together, still needs to go through public hearings and then
receive the approval of the legislature.
Under the proposal partners would need to sign an
affidavit that they are 18 years of age or older, be in a sole committed
relationship, not otherwise married and have lived together for at least six
months.
PEBP Director Leslie Johnstone said the full recommendation to state overseers
will be finalized by the end of the month and that a hearing to formally adopt
them will be held May 1.
The measure will then go to the legislature which
is not expected to act before the middle of 2009 Johnstone said.
The cost of subsidizing those partners and dependents, she said, will come to
about $3 million.
If adopted it would cover state employees
including Nevada's public universities.
The plan was lauded by the American Civil Liberties
Union which has been fighting for partner rights in the state but a conservative
citizens group that led the drive five years ago to ban same-sex marriage in
Nevada said it will oppose the benefits.
Concerned Citizens Chair Richard Ziser said the
PEBP is attempting approve a new "definition of a spouse" in violation
of the gay marriage ban. Ziser said that as a nonelected body the board does not have
the authority to do that.
Johnstone said the plan has nothing to do with
the marriage law. The original request to include domestic partners in the state health plan came
from the Nevada System of Higher Education.
In June state university and college presidents
told the board that extending benefits to partners is essential to their
ability to recruit top professors and administrators.
©365Gay.com 2008
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