Originally published June 4, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 4, 2007 at 9:44 PM
Bellevue council OKs domestic-partner benefits
After a lawsuit and years of lobbying by gay-rights advocates, the Bellevue City Council on Monday night approved employment benefits for...
Seattle Times Eastside bureau
After a lawsuit and years of lobbying by gay-rights advocates, the Bellevue City Council on Monday night approved employment benefits for partners of gay city employees.
The 7-0 vote means that domestic partners — straight and gay — will receive the same benefits the city now provides to married partners. These benefits include medical, dental, vision and life insurance and family leave.
It will probably be two or three months before domestic partners receive the benefits. The council's vote changed city law, but the human-resources department still has to implement the changes.
Lambda Legal, a national gay-rights group, sued the city in April on behalf of three gay city employees who said they were unable to get time off to attend family funerals or pay for health care for their partners.
In the days after the lawsuit was filed, Bellevue city leaders said they hadn't approved domestic-partner benefits because they were too expensive. But a week later, Mayor Grant Degginger said the city would provide the benefits, adding it had always been interested but just hadn't acted quickly enough.
Lambda Legal said it would drop the lawsuit if the city adopted equal benefits for all employees, regardless of sexual orientation.
Bellevue now joins many other public employers in Washington that offer domestic-partner benefits, including the state, Seattle, Burien, Spokane and King and Snohomish counties.
In April, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill that creates a domestic-partnership registry with the state for same-sex and unmarried older couples. The bill will provide some rights already extended to married couples, including hospital visitation and the ability to inherit a partner's property without a will.
Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Seattle Times Fund For The Needy offers opportunity to give
Tugboat sinks on Seattle's waterfront
Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
Danny Westneat: Bonus for supe with a B minus?
Nicole Brodeur: You have more to spare than you think you do

LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham talks about the upcoming MLS Cup final during after a team practice.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
- Italian prosecutors request life sentence for UW student
- Tugboat sinks on Seattle's waterfront
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Man shot in chest on E. Union Street in Capitol Hill
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Mariners Blog | A Mariners-Tigers swap makes a whole lot of sense for both teams
- Senate vote clears hurdle
234 - Tight Senate vote launches health care over hurdle
119 - Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
117 - Palin excitement builds in Tri-Cities
115 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
108 - Prosecutor requests life in prison for Amanda Knox
87 - Cutting through breast-cancer confusion
86 - Game thread
70 - New York terror trials will restore faith in rule of law
52 - Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
46
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Nonprofits get creative using Twitter and Facebook to make donation easier
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Great places to cross-country ski for free (or almost) in the Methow
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Recipes: Sesame Pork Roast, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce and more
- Banff: powder, peaks & purity
- 175 foster kids in Washington get 'forever families'





