|
 New Attempt To Weaken Salt Lake City Domestic
Partner Law
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: February 27, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(Salt Lake City, Utah) A bill that would void
Salt Lake City's new Domestic Partner ordinance appears dead in committee but
already a second measure to weaken the law is in the works.
Earlier this month Salt Lake City Council
unanimously approved the proposed citywide partner registry that would be
available to same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples who cannot or chose not
to marry. (story)
State Sen. Chris Buttars (R), a longtime LGBT
rights foe, has proposed legislation to block the registry and dismantle partner
benefits to the domestic partners of city workers.
Buttars maintains that the both the registry and
the city's domestic partner benefits violate the state's ban on same-sex
marriage.
While it appears the Buttars bill will ultimately
fail, a second lawmaker is proposing a separate law that would weaken both Salt
Lake measures and affect similar laws in other cities.
Sen. Greg Bell (R) has filed notice he will
introduce legislation that would allow municipalities to recognize unmarried couples as
financial co-dependents but prevent them from using the term domestic
partnerships.
Details of Bell's bill are still being worked out
but he said he is concerned that the term "domestic partnership" could
be interpreted as "gay marriage
light".
Salt Lake mayor Ralph Becker who made the
establishment of the registry a campaign promise is defending the use of
domestic partnerships, noting that the registry is open not only to people in same-sex
relationships but also to siblings, long-term roommates and parents, as long as
they reside in Salt Lake City.
Becker also said that the majority of people who
have expressed interest in registering are not gay and lesbian couples.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. also questions the need to
place restrictions on the registry.
"I'm not sure that the state has a place overreaching
or micromanaging what is done at the local government level," he told the
Salt Lake Tribune.
He die not say, however, if he would veto either
bill if it reached his desk.
©365Gay.com 2008
|
Entertainment
