Tag: Same-sex benefits

A prominent national gay rights organization on Tuesday blasted Colorado state Sen. Scott Renfroe for comparing homosexuality to murder when he spoke Monday against a bill that would extend health benefits to same-sex domestic partners of state employees.

The Aurora City Council voted Monday night to offer insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees after agreeing to add coverage for opposite-sex domestic partners to the proposal. The benefits expansion -- at an estimated cost to the city of $100,000 annually -- passed on a 7-3 vote with opponents voicing concern about the cost to the city, which is facing multi-million dollar shortfalls this year and next.

After numerous delays, the Aurora City Council will debate, on Monday, whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. This comes just after the Colorado State Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would do the same for state employees. The Colorado Independent will be live-blogging the Aurora decision starting at 7:30 p.m.

Focus on the Family Action takes to the airwaves this week with a radio ad opposing SB 88 -- a bill that would add health benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees -- because it's just too darned expensive during a "global economic crisis," Right Wing Watch reports. "Coloradans can’t afford this social experiment," argues the political arm of the Colorado Springs-based conservative religious group.

The usual suspects are sending out alerts urging support or opposition to a state bill headed to its first hearing Wednesday afternoon that would allow state employees to add same-sex domestic partners to their benefits packages. The Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee sits down at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to hear arguments for and against Senate Bill 88, sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer Veiga and state Rep. Mark Ferrandino, the General Assembly's two openly gay members.

The City of Aurora, Colorado's third-largest, decides Monday night whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city employees. The question could be contentious, as a budget deficit estimated from $6 million to $12 million has the city of 300,000 tightening belts at every turn. Some opponents say the roughly $50,000 annual cost to add the benefits is a luxury the city can't afford. Others say the city can't compete for employees without joining the 20 other municipalities across the state offering domestic partnership benefits. The 11-member City Council has discussed the measure at committee meetings and study sessions but remains divided, ushering it to Monday's formal meeting on a 6-5 vote. Tonight, we'll be live-blogging the debate and posting the result as it happens. Please join the discussion in the comments section below.

The Aurora City Council plans to consider Monday night whether to offer insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city employees. A slim majority of city council members voted the measure ahead two weeks ago, with some arguing it is essential to attract the best employees. But vocal opponents questioned the proposal's cost and asked whether the move would run afoul of Colorado's constitutional definition of marriage.

After delaying the question a month ago, the Aurora City Council moved one step closer to offering insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees Monday night, the Aurora Sentinel reports. At an informal City Council session, council members voted 6-5 to consider the proposal at a formal meeting and decided to hold off discussion of the contentious issue until then. Some city decision-makers have questioned the constitutionality of the proposal or argued it was too expensive when the city faces drastic budget cuts, but advocates argue it's essential to attract the best workers to the city.

The Aurora City Council put off considering whether to add benefits for same-sex partners of city employees Monday night after one council member raised a series of questions about costs and another asked the city to determine whether the benefits might run afoul of a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Lawmakers in Aurora, Colorado's third-largest city, plan to discuss Monday night whether same-sex domestic partners will be added to the city's definition of family members, which would extend benefits to gay and lesbian partners of city employees. "It's a best practice in the employee benefits world, and it's a benefit we should be offering to our employees," Councilman Larry Beer told the Colorado Independent on Monday.