From Deseret News archives:
Partner registry under fire
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Monday voted 4-0 to let the full Senate consider the matter.
"My motive is to provide good benefits to the city's employees and to our residents," said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker of the registry, which recently received unanimous support from the Salt Lake City Council. It gives companies who choose to provide domestic partner benefits an easy way to verify such relationships and provides the right to hospital visitation.
But Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, says he's sponsoring SB267 to overrule Salt Lake City because he sees the registry as "an open checkbook" to future benefits that "mimics Utah's marriage recognition policy to a T."
Whether that registry violates the state's marriage policy was a key point discussed Monday, as lawmakers heard from Salt Lake's attorney that the registry is not even close to "substantially similar to marriage."
However, former state Rep. LaVar Christensen, who sponsored the marriage policy in 2004 with Buttars, said "if they have a broader agenda, they are going too far."
The question of just what is allowed under the state's marriage policy was also a topic in 2004 before voters approved it in the ballot box. Back then, Monte Stewart, a supporter of the policy, had said that to be in violation a relationship would have to be sexually based and "walk, talk and act like a marriage."
Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, was at the time head of the campaign against Amendment 3 and had raised concerns that the marriage policy could prevent even basic benefits for same-sex couples.
On Monday, Will Carlson, spokesman for Equality Utah, said, "We were accused of being ridiculous for suggesting that hospital visitation could be prohibited under Amendment 3," which constitutionally banned same-sex marriage in Utah.
Stewart said that "based on what I know, this city ordinance does not violate" that, in large part because it's based on mutual dependence, not a sexual relationship.
However, Christensen said the city registry does potentially violate the policy because "it creates a whole new vocabulary" and recognition.
Recent comments
1. Gays have exactly the same rights as straights.
2. Less than...
2 quick clarifications | Feb. 16, 2008 at 3:09 p.m.
Anon,
And thank you for not going down that road of villification...
Voice of Reason | Feb. 15, 2008 at 4:09 p.m.
Hey maybe registering them is a good idea. Then we'd know where they...
Leon | Feb. 15, 2008 at 7:48 a.m.
- 2A: San Juan claims title 9:55 p.m.
- Buckeyes smelling Roses 9:53 p.m.
- Toone saves day for Wildcats 9:51 p.m.
- Ex-ambassador James Lilley dies 9:49 p.m.
- Kaysville and UTA open trail 9:48 p.m.
- GameDay shows MWC some love 9:47 p.m.
- Vanishing languages a 'tragedy' 9:39 p.m.
- BYU happy to escape with victory 9:39 p.m.
- Photo: Santa comes to town 9:33 p.m.
- Apply to POST Academy 9:32 p.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- D-Will home for daughter
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Crash on snowy road kills woman
- Born of water and the spirit
- GameDay in Fort Worth
- BYU happy to escape with victory
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
357 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - BYU happy to escape with victory
177 - Senators want food tax restored
164 - Will state consider gay rights law?
148 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
130 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
106
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
At least "that other team down south" only gave up 38 points the whole game...
yes Utah Lost........although I CANT WAIT to see Reed run those 9 routes...
I never actively cheered against the Utes until I started reading the...
Obviously, you are not a parent, or if you are, you have no moral values, and...
Utes looked pretty good...sarcasm. Utes are OVERRATED!!!! Hey, Wynn,...
There's a reason for that. Its called interest.
Nice job RSL. Too bad LA is going to win!
"At least the Utes put more points on the board than that other team down...
when a Western Conference team will be able to fly the Eastern Conference...
AK has been watching TAVERNARI.

