New York City Mayor Bloomberg vetoes equal benefits bill

A story published today by Gay Financial News reports that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the Equal Benefits Bill, or EBB, late yesterday.

The EBB, cosponsored by thirty-eight Councilmembers and passed the full Council on May 5 by a vote of 43-5, would have required companies with city contracts of $100,000 or more to provide the same benefits to employees with domestic partners that they provide to employees with spouses.

Advocates of the bill say by vetoing the bill the mayor breaks a promise he made to NYC’s large and politically active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to support the bill during his 2001 campaign for Mayor.

“The Mayor broke a campaign promise he made to our families,” said Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda, the civil rights organization that championed the bill. “What happened between the campaign and today? And what now are his promises worth? These are important questions that should be on the mind of every New Yorker.”

The Mayor’s veto was announced through a two-page letter, dated June 3, to City Clerk Victor Robles. In the letter, the Mayor restated a laundry list of reasons he has used to oppose the bill since he first made his change in position public at the Pride Agenda’s annual fall fundraiser dinner where he was the evening’s keynote speaker.

“Trying to use the city’s procurement dollars to advance social issues is just not productive,” said Bloomberg at the fundraiser. He also cited a decrease in competition for contracts and a resulting increase in the cost of services.

“This bill is about ending the use of taxpayer dollars to fund discrimination by some city contractors against one set of New York City families,” said Van Capelle Thursday. “This bill is about equal treatment of all workers and all families, nothing more and nothing less.”

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and lead sponsor Councilmember Christine Quinn have stated the Council will over-ride the Mayor’s veto and make the EBB law.