This is not what David Fowles expected when he asked the city of Green Bay to consider granting domestic partner health care benefits this summer. The longtime city employee has been snubbed in his efforts to change city policy so that an employee’s same-sex partner can qualify for the same medical and dental insurance coverage extended to other employees’ families.
Now some aldermen want the city to align itself with a conservative group that is working to undo the limited domestic partner benefits mandated at the state level. Fowles, a truck driver in the Public Works Department, says he never imagined that his request would backfire so badly. “It’s mind-boggling,” he said. “It’s like you’re taking progress and you’re tearing it down.”
The City Council on Wednesday will consider a proposal to support Wisconsin Family Action in its lawsuit challenging the state’s domestic partner registry. Approved by state lawmakers and enacted in 2009, the registry allows same-sex couples to qualify for certain employment benefits, including family leave for medical emergencies.
Full Story from The Green Bay Press Gazette
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