The City of Cleveland, Ohio is
considering a plan to offer domestic partner benefits to city
employees.
In 2009, the city approved a
gay-inclusive domestic partnership registry which – despite
offering no guaranteed benefits – became the subject of a legal
challenge that claimed the registry violated the state's 2004
voter-approved gay marriage ban. An appeals court last October
upheld a lower courts' ruling dismissing the challenge.
Approximately
120 gay and straight couples have paid the $50 fee to register their
relationship, Cleveland's
Gay People's Chronicle reported.
Democratic Councilor Joe Cimperman
introduced his ordinance on March 28.
Under the proposal, the city would
provide health benefits to city workers' domestic partners.
Opponent have argued that the city
cannot afford to offer such benefits.
“It makes sense that we offer this,”
Cimperman told the paper, which is published every other week. “If
you ask the other cities, the cost has been diminutive. What those
cities tell you is that it has greatly improved their ability to
attract talent.”
“If we can attract people while also
doing the right thing, it's a plus-plus,” he added.
According to the paper, several of
Cleveland's largest institutions offer such benefits, including Case
Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Fairview
Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, KeyCorp and University
Hospitals.