Thursday, September 19, 2002

A story published today by the Washington Times reports that the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission approved extending health benefits to domestic partners of employees yesterday, making the agency the first public employer in Prince George's County to do so.

"It was the natural extension of fairness," said Elizabeth Hewlett, chairman of the Prince George's Planning Board, which along with the Montgomery County Planning Board makes up the bi-county commission. "It is one thing to espouse a politically correct concept of nondiscrimination, another to walk the walk."

Commissioners say the new policy would help in hiring and retention.

"It is also a way to extend health benefits to those without," said Wendy Perdue, vice chairman of the Montgomery County Planning Board. "That is a major social issue. This is an important small step."

Eligible employees must meet specific criteria to prove the relationship exists, such as providing documents detailing a shared mortgage or a joint bank account.

The initiative will be funded by an increase in medical insurance co-payments from $5 to $10.

Only a small number of the agency's almost 2,200 current and retired employees are expected to use the benefit.

Locally, Montgomery County, the District and the cities of Baltimore and Takoma Park offer domestic-partner benefits. More recently, Montgomery County's police department extended these benefits last year to both heterosexual and homosexual couples.

Prince George's County Council Chairman Peter Shapiro, who said he followed Montgomery's extension of benefits with interest, said he would consider proposing such a change for county employees if the "time were right."

"We also have a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation," he said. "This would be putting your money where your mouth is."