Council Opposes Domestic-Partner Bill
The City Council took a unanimous stance this week against state legislation that proposes offering health benefits to the unmarried, live-in partners of public employees.
At their Wednesday meeting, council members agreed that the bill would take money reserved for public services, such as police and fire services, to pay for the added benefits.
The bill would authorize state and local employers to include--if they choose--domestic partners in the definition of “family member.” A domestic partner is defined as an adult, 18 years of age, unrelated, sharing a residence and the responsibilities for each other’s basic living expenses. The bill was introduced in December and is still in committee.
Councilmen Michael Morgan and Bill Liebmann, the two members of the council’s legislative committee, studied the bill last month and recommended that council members oppose it.
The council also approved a letter from Mayor Kevin Kildee to Gov. Gray Davis showing the council’s support for the reappointment of Councilwoman Charlotte Craven to the state Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region.
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