Domestic Partnership Benefits Pass Council, 20-8

The City-County Council passed Proposal 213 tonight at its meeting which would provide health benefits for couples in domestic partnerships of same sex and opposite sex couples.  Vote total was 20-8. Councillor Jose Evans was out of town.

This bi-partisan sponsored and supported proposal will now go to Mayor Greg Ballard for his signature.

The debate was a very passionate one.  Councillor Bob Lutz, Councillor Benjamin Hunter, Councillor Jeff Miller, and Councillor Pam Hickman spoke passionately in favor.  Councillor Jeff Cardwell, Councillor Jack Sandlin, and Councillor Aaron Freeman all spoke passionately against.

Cardwell couched his comments completely in cost.  Freeman did too, but he added that he supports the traditional definition of marriage.  Sandlin went off the rails.

Jack Sandlin

He managed to attack couples, gay and straight, who are raising children out of wedlock.  He cited studies that mention that two-parent homes are better for children.

If this were a discussion on that issue, I honestly wouldn't take too much issue with that assertion.  To me, it's interesting that he would pick this moment to bring this up.  Seeing this has really NOTHING to do with the proposal, I took it as a direct attack on unmarried couples raising children.  Many of those couples do so quite successfully, and injecting his comments into this particular debate was a direct slap in the face to them.

Sandlin also said that NO ONE in his district supported the proposal and that ALL opposed it based on cost.  SURRRRRRE!

If the GOP stays on board, Ballard can veto this proposal, but his veto could be overridden.  That said, his own folks have been reluctant to buck their Mayor.