A lawsuit has been filed by Bruce Rushton, a reporter for the Illinois Times, claiming that the Springfield Joint Labor/Management Health Care Committee voted to grant health benefits to couples in civil unions. Rushton claims that the Committee violated the Open Meetings Act. He hopes to have the decision by the committee declared void.
The Civil Rights Agenda stated in a press release:
The Civil Rights Agenda is currently working with members of the Springfield City Council and other allies to determine the best course of action. The Civil Rights Agenda’s Legal Council confirms that the Committee meeting, held in private with no notice to the public, could in fact be a violation of the Open Meetings Act. While it is unfortunate that this may impede the enforcement of civil union health benefits that should be granted to Springfield city employees, The Civil Rights Agenda must address the larger issues of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and access to decision-making bodies acting on behalf of the public, which is addressed under the Open Meetings Act.
Click here for gay wedding resources in Illinois.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook. We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
Without weighing in on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act or addressing the Obama administration’s changing position on gay marriage, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White today rejected a federal court employee’s effort to get federal health benefits for her wife.
