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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
Current rating: 0 |
by Danielle Chynoweth, Urbana City Council Member
(No verified email address) |
29 Apr 2005
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On Monday, May 2, the Urbana City Council will take a final vote to establish a domestic partner registry. The registry will be open to same-sex and heterosexual partners living together in a close and committed relationship of mutual financial and emotional support. Both partners living in Urbana as well as those outside of Urbana are eligible to register. The opening of the registry will be announced this summer.
Also on Monday's agenda is a motion to extend health insurance benefits to the domestic partners of city employees. This would shore up domestic partner benefits to make them equal to those extended to married employees. The City voted last summer to extend partial benefits to domestic partners of city employees, but these benefits did not include health insurance. |
I have researched the registry programs of the dozens of cities and states and have gathered valuable input from our community in shaping the registry. At the end of this message is the actual language of the ordinance. If you would like to send further suggestions, please direct them to chyn (at) ojctech (dot) com. You may also speak before council Monday, May 2, at 7:30 pm at 400 S. Vine Street. As always, the public invited to attend and/or provide input.
The purpose of the registry is to:
- create a public and historic record of relationships that have been denied such a history up until now.
- allow domestic partners to be counted as "one unit" when enforcing the city laws such as the prohibition against more than four unrelated people living together.
- register domestic partners for the sake of providing benefits to city employees.
- provide area employers a way to identify domestic partners for the sake of extending benefits.
Additionally, it is my hope that domestic partners will use the registry in advocating for equal employment benefits.
[NOTE: Reading the both the Urbana and Champaign Human Rights Ordinances, it is unclear why area employers are not being required to offer equal benefits to domestic partners. For example, the Urbana code prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status in employment "compensation" and other "terms" and "privileges" of employment:
"It shall be an unlawful practice for an employer to do any of the following acts for a reason based wholly or partially on discrimination:
(1) To fail or refuse to hire, to discharge or to accord adverse, unlawful and unequal treatment to any person with respect to his/her application, hiring, training, compensation, tenure, upgrading, promotion, layoff or any other terms, conditions or privileges of employment." (Section 12-62; Urbana Code of Ordinances: http://www.city.urbana.il.us?URL=/urbana/city_code/11503005.htm).]
Registering as domestic partners will involving showing up in person with ID at the City Clerk's office, paying the same price as a marriage license ($15), and signing an affidavit which says:
We, the undersigned, declare that :
1. We are engaged in a committed relationship and intend to remain together indefinitely.
2. We are at least 18 years of age and have the capacity to enter into a contract.
3. We share a common permanent residence are jointly responsible to each other for the necessities of life.
4. We are not related by blood closer than permitted for married couples under Illinois marriage laws.
5. Neither of us is registered with another Domestic Partner.
6. Neither of us is legally married.
7. Neither of us may lawfully be claimed as a dependant on any other person’s federal income tax return.
8. We understand that the registration of this Domestic Partnership Affidavit creates a domestic partnership of continuous duration until either of us files an Affidavit of Termination or upon the death of either of us.
9. Each of us agrees to file jointly or separately an Affidavit of Termination with the Urbana City Clerk within 30 days of a change in this domestic partnership such that we no longer meet the criteria herein.
Here is the text of the ordinance:
An Ordinance Establishing a Domestic Partner Registry
WHEREAS, Urbana has a long, distinguished history of opposing discrimination based on sex
orientation and marital status;
WHEREAS, same-sex couples are not legally permitted to marry in the State of Illinois;
WHEREAS, the City of Urbana wishes to provide equal recognition of both same-sex domestic partnerships and heterosexual domestic partnerships;
WHEREAS, Urbana code refers to “domestic partners”;
WHEREAS, Urbana already recognizes the domestic partners of employees of the City of Urbana for the sake of providing benefits;
WHEREAS, Urbana wishes to provide area employers the service of registering domestic partnerships for the sake of providing benefits; and
WHEREAS, Urbana is organized as a Home Rule unit in the State of Illinois.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF URBANA, ILLINOIS, as follows:
Section 1. The Mayor and the City Clerk are hereby authorized to take the actions necessary, including spending funds from the 2004-05 City Budget, to establish the Domestic Partnership Registry described herein.
Section 2. The Office of the City Clerk of Urbana shall maintain a Domestic Partnership Registry for the purpose of permitting partners living together in a close and committed relationship of mutual financial and emotional support who meet the requirements herein to choose to register their domestic partnership and to terminate a domestic partnership previously registered with the City of Urbana.
To register a domestic partnership, the domestic partners must meet the requirements specified in the attached Domestic Partnership Affidavit at the time that they appear together at the City Clerk’s office to register. The partners shall appear together at the Office of the City Clerk for registration of domestic partnerships, present valid photo identifications with proof of age, complete and sign the required Domestic Partnership Affidavit before a Notary Public provided by the Clerk’s Office, and pay the Domestic Partnership registration fee.
Prior to completion of the Domestic Partnership Affidavit the Office of the City Clerk shall provide information regarding the Registry to each person who appears to register. At a minimum, the following topics shall be included: 1) All portions of the Domestic Partnership Registry are public information; 2) An employer who provides benefits to domestic partners, including the City of Urbana, may have additional requirements and may require documentation of this relationship; and 3) Declaring a false statement on the Domestic Partner Affidavit may nullify a registration and/or may make one liable to civil action by a party seeking to recover their losses and attorney’s fees. The City Clerk may alter the text above to improve clarity and accuracy.
Following registration, the Office of the City Clerk shall provide the registered partners one full-sized and two wallet-sized certificates of domestic partnership. To terminate a domestic partnership, a registered domestic partner shall follow the procedures in effect at the time in which the termination is recorded with the Office of the City Clerk.
The Office of the City Clerk shall administer the Domestic Partnership Registry. Administration shall include establishing procedures and hours of operation for the registration and termination of Domestic Partnerships, providing information concerning Domestic Partnerships to the public, providing a list of employers who have notified the Clerk that they provide domestic partner benefits, maintaining a permanent record of all Domestic Partnership Affidavits and Termination records, and recommending to the City Council through the normal budget process the fees to be charged for use of this Registry such that the fees charged will cover the cost of this Registry. During fiscal year 2005-06, a fee of $15.00 will be charged to register a domestic partnership.
Section 3. Section 1 of this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and approval. Section 2 of this ordinance shall become effective at a date to be established by mutual agreement between the Mayor and the City Clerk, but no later than September 1, 2005. The effective date of the Registry shall be publicly announced by the Mayor and recorded by the City Clerk.
This Ordinance is hereby passed by the affirmative vote, the "ayes" and "nays" being called, of a majority of the members of the Council of the City of Urbana, Illinois, at a regular meeting of said Council. |
See also:
http://www.news-gazette.com/ngsearch/index.cfm?&page=displyStory.cfm&yearfolder=the05news&file=042305%5Fngstory%5F18100%2Etxt&s
http://www.news-gazette.com/ngsearch/index.cfm?&page=displyStory.cfm&yearfolder=the05news&file=012505%5Fngstory%5F17565%2Etxt&s
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Related stories on this site:
Photos from Monday's council meeting
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This work is in the public domain. |
Comments
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by karl roenfanz ( rosey )
k_rosey48 (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
30 Apr 2005
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we in evansville ind. need the alter ego bill. we have a judge who lives under one name but signs court paperwork under another. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by trojan horse
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
02 May 2005
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[NOTE: Reading the both the Urbana and Champaign Human Rights Ordinances, it is unclear why area employers are not being required to offer equal benefits to domestic partners. For example, the Urbana code prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status in employment "compensation" and other "terms" and "privileges" of employment:
This doesn't sound to me like the innocent resolution of which we have heard. We hear it is only about public recognition, and then all of the sudden there are lawsuits for discrimination. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by Local Yocal
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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One of the authors of this registry readily admits, off the record, that this resolution does open the flood gates for discrimination civil lawsuits. It's been an amazing political trajectory that what people do with their bodies in the bedroom has garnered so much political and legal clout. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by Robert
bob (nospam) bob.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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This is not a city matter. The Urbana city government should focus on building an effective infrastructure for the city rather than cute, but somewhat irrelevant asides such as this issue or making Urbana a "Nuclear Free Zone".
It saddens me that activists have hijacked the government of Urbana and that issues such as this prevent the passage of council measures regarding issues that are important to most Urbanans: business growth, safe streets and good schools.
As for me I'm glad I live in Champaign. |
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It's Called an Election |
by Dose of Reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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Uh, Bob, we have this thing called an election that we regularly use in order to make sure that Urbana's government reflects the views of its citizens. Just had one, in fact. The outgoing council voted for this and it would have passed in the new council, also. Nobody "hijacked" anything. And it is highly relevant that the rights of all our citizens are protected, especially when other units of government have failed to do so.
BTW, if you haven't been reading the News-Gazette lately, there's been quite a bit of handwringing over in Champaign about the fact that Champaign is shifting to the Democrats. I'd recommend that you get in line now to move to Savoy. It would be undignified for you to be the last conservative to leave Champaign and have the door hit you in the ass. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by Bob
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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Dose,
You bring a good point. It is good that this resolution was passed by an elected body rather than dumped on Urbana by the courts.
However, your retort misses the point that the Urbana city council has managed to dodge the bullet on a number of issues that affect the community by appealing to the U of I student body and other progressives in Urbana through catering to activist groups.
The current city council needs to address the fact that the business and civil infrastructure in Urbana is not improving, regardless of whether the council is composed of Democrats, Republicans, Greens or Libertarians. Civil welfare should never take a backseat to activist politics, as it does in Urbana. |
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What? You Didn't Believe Tod??? |
by Dose of Reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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So, Bob, you didn't believe the Satterthwaite campaign literature that was telling us how much he had personally done to make Urbana better?
Well, the truth is, things have been constantly improving in recent years, but there are lots of people who need credit for that, not just Tod. That's part of the reason he is gone and we have a great new mayor who is known for fiscally sound and effective government that is solidly progressive. The other part of the election is that Urbana DID think it can do better than Tod did, and we voted for Laurel.
So we're not in bad shape, really we're halfway there, and the great new council will keep us on track.
I suppose we could rely on box stores and bars for economic growth, but we'd really prefer more small business along with the new box store or two.
There's no need for you to help the News-Gazzette carry on its decades-long (yes, even when there were Republicans in charge in Urbana, back in the Neanderthal period of Urbana) campaign of misinformation against Urbana and in favor of one city, united under the News-Gazette. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by good for Urbana
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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This will definitely put us on the map- It will be Urbana's asset, and I think that we should cash in on what our community has to offer and charge a hefty dollar for anyone who lives outside of Urbana and wants to register.
We have something now that other communities don't have-- we have to pay for services for our residents and we can't do it by other means- property taxes on run down houses- sales taxes on very little commercial areas- so let's make money however we can! |
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Trolls Don't Know Jack (Even If They Probably Are Jack) |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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The fee to use the domestic registry is $15, whether or not you are a resident of Urbana. It is open to all, no matter what their residency.
There was no intention to raise funding with this measure. In fact, the cost is deisgned simply to cover the costs of paperwork.
Also, Urbana taxes all its houses, not just a few run-down ones, although that idea sure sounds like something Jack would come up with. Anything to screw the poor makes him happy. |
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Re: Urbana City Council will Vote on Domestic Partner Registry and Benefits this Monday |
by Born to the Tribe
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 May 2005
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Sales taxes -- the most regressive of all means of raising government revenue. |
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