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Copyright Providence Journal/Evening Bulletin Jun 20, 2000
* The House Finance Committee will hear a proposal that would grant domestic partners of state workers gay or
heterosexual the same health benefits that spouses and children of state employees get.
* * *
PROVIDENCE - Rhode Island would become one of a handful of states to extend health benefits to the domestic partners
of state employees gay or heterosexual under a bill introduced in the final days of the legislative session.
Similar legislation was introduced in the House last year, but it never came up for a hearing. House Finance Committee
Chairman Antonio J. Pires, a co-sponsor of the new bill, said he will schedule a hearing shortly. But he doubted his
committee will have the information it needs on how much the measure would cost taxpayers to vote in this session,
which is expected to end within a few weeks.
Pires said his main reason for holding a hearing will be to educate the public and legislators. "It's a late entry in the
legislative process, but I don't think it's so late that we shouldn't have an opportunity to look at the concept," said Pires, D-
Pawtucket.
The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Gordon Fox, D-Providence, would make domestic partners of state workers eligible
for the same health benefits that spouses and children of state employees get.
To be eligible, the partner of a state worker would have to be at least 18, not married to anyone else, unrelated to the state
employee, living with the employee for at least two years and sharing his or her finances.
Several states provide such benefits, including California, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Hawaii and Oregon. So do
many private employers. In Rhode Island, they range from Brown University to Fleet Bank, according to Kate Monteiro,
president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights.
Fox, a lawyer and member of the Finance Committee, said state employees who are in committed relationships but not
legally married should be able to "go to work and support the ones they love." He also said that extending health benefits
to domestic partners would make it easier for Rhode Island to entice better job candidates as the state competes with
other big employers.
"That's why this is a no-brainer for me," he said.
* * *
Who provides?
Several states provide benefits to domesticpartners:California,Connecticut, New York,Vermont, Hawaii and Oregon. So do
many private employers. In Rhode Island, they range from Brown University to Fleet Bank, according to the Rhode Island
Alliance forLesbian and Gay Civil Rights.
* The House Finance Committee will hear a proposal that would grant domestic partners of state workers gay or
heterosexual the same health benefits that spouses and children of state employees get.
* * *
PROVIDENCE - Rhode Island would become one of a handful of states to extend health benefits to the domestic partners
of state employees gay or heterosexual under a bill introduced in the final days of the legislative session.
Similar legislation was introduced in the House last year, but it never came up for a hearing. House Finance Committee
Chairman Antonio J. Pires, a co-sponsor of the new bill, said he will schedule a hearing shortly. But he doubted his
committee will have the information it needs on how much the measure would cost taxpayers to vote in this session,
which is expected to end within a few weeks.
Pires said his main reason for holding a hearing will be to educate the public and legislators. "It's a late entry in the
legislative process, but I don't think it's so late that we shouldn't have an opportunity to look at the concept," said Pires, D-
Pawtucket.
The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Gordon Fox, D-Providence, would make domestic partners of state workers eligible
for the same health benefits that spouses and children of state employees get.
To be eligible, the partner of a state worker would have to be at least 18, not married to anyone else, unrelated to the state
employee, living with the employee for at least two years and sharing his or her finances.
Several states provide such benefits, including California, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Hawaii and Oregon. So do
many private employers. In Rhode Island, they range from Brown University to Fleet Bank, according to Kate Monteiro,
president of the Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights.
Fox, a lawyer and member of the Finance Committee, said state employees who are in committed relationships but not
legally married should be able to "go to work and support the ones they love." He also said that extending health benefits
to domestic partners would make it easier for Rhode Island to entice better job candidates as the state competes with
other big employers.
"That's why this is a no-brainer for me," he said.
* * *
Who provides?
Several states provide benefits to domesticpartners:California,Connecticut, New York,Vermont, Hawaii and Oregon. So do
many private employers. In Rhode Island, they range from Brown University to Fleet Bank, according to the Rhode Island
Alliance forLesbian and Gay Civil Rights.
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