Partner benefits proposed
A-C Commission
By Blake Aued blake.aued@onlineathens.com
Story updated at 12:48 AM on Thursday, June 8, 2006

After passing protections against discrimination for gays and lesbians, Athens-Clarke Mayor Heidi Davison told commissioners late Tuesday night to explore giving benefits to the partners of gay county employees.

A committee of five Athens-Clarke commissioners will decide whether to allow the partners of gay and lesbian county employees to receive health insurance and other benefits.

Davison assigned the issue late Tuesday night to the Legislative Review Committee, one of the commission's two standing committees.

Davison told the committee to explore domestic partner benefits at the request of Just Equal, a local gay rights group. Just Equal also pushed Davison to add sexual orientation to the county's nondiscrimination policy, which the commission unanimously approved Tuesday.

A majority of commissioners support the idea in principle, though specifics haven't been discussed, she said.

"The commissioners had indicated to me there was enough support for that to send it to committee," she said after the meeting.

Domestic partner benefits, offered by about six cities and counties in Georgia, can take several forms. Fulton County, for example, offers only health insurance, but is considering adding survivor benefits as well. Nineteen of about 6,000 county employees take advantage of the benefits, costing taxpayers about $60,000 per year.

Athens-Clarke County employs about 1,500 people full-time.

Commissioner Elton Dodson, chairman of the Legislative Review Committee, said he hasn't considered which benefits to offer. He said he would prefer if Georgia and the federal government legalized gay marriage, but that bans on gay marriage and civil unions forced the county's hand.

Dodson's law practice specializes in employment and discrimination issues.

"I'm open to any reasonable suggestions to make this happen," he said. "At the end of the day, we shouldn't even be having this conversation."

Commissioner States McCarter, the commission's only outspoken opponent of domestic partner benefits, does not serve on the Legislative Review Committee.

The committee is scheduled to meet next on June 20. Once the committee members - Dodson and commissioners Charles Carter, Kathy Hoard, Carl Jordan and George Maxwell - agree on a recommendation, the full commission will consider it during a work session as early as July, and vote on the recommendation as early as August.