Seattle City Council Passes Approve Referendum 71 Resolution

On Monday Seattle's City Council passed a resolution urging the residents to vote to Approve Referendum 71, which would keep the new expanded domestic partnership law which extends all of Washington state's rights and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples except the title.

The resolution states:

RESOLUTION 31154

A RESOLUTION urging Seattle voters to vote "approved" on Washington State Referendum 71 thereby retaining Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 which would expand the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners to equal those of married spouses.

WHEREAS, on May 18th Governor Christine Gregoire signed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 into law providing that, for all purposes under state law, state registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as spouses; and

WHEREAS, opponents of Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 filed Referendum 71 to send Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 to a vote of the citizens of Washington; and

WHEREAS, enough signatures have been gathered and the citizens of Washington will vote on Referendum 71 in Washington State's November 2009 general election; and

WHEREAS, a vote of "approved" on Referendum 71 will allow Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 to become law and provide that state registered domestic partners be treated the same as spouses under state law; and

WHEREAS, a vote of "rejected" on Referendum 71 would repeal Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 and allow state registered domestic partners to be treated differently than spouses under state law; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle embraces legal equality and fair treatment for all residents, and values the contributions and personal dignity of all; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has legally protected its citizens from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation since 1973, and on the basis of gender identity since 1999; and

WHEREAS, since 1993, the City of Seattle has provided its employees with health benefit coverage for city registered domestic partners; and

WHEREAS, since 1999, unmarried members of the City of Seattle Retirement City Employees' Retirement System can designate a domestic partner as his or her beneficiary; and

WHEREAS, since 2000, the City of Seattle has required contractors on City contracts to provide employee benefits to their employees with domestic partners equivalent to those provided to their employees with spouses;

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The City of Seattle urges Seattle voters to vote "approved" on Referendum 71 on the November, 2009 ballot, thereby retaining Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 and expanding the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners as equal to those of spouses.

Get involved with helping Referendum 71 pass by going to the Approve 71 campaign website!

Read a great post by Lurleen at Pam's House Blend, "A Day in the Life of the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign."