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Sheriff offers partner benefits

Starting next year, gay and lesbian Sheriff's Office employees can obtain health insurance for their domestic partners.

By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
Published November 22, 2006

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office just became the second major local law enforcement agency in Tampa Bay to offer health insurance to domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees.

"Our work force is diverse," Sheriff Jim Coats said Tuesday. "This is one of the needs that I feel that we should at least offer to our employees."

All Sheriff's Office employees who are in same-sex relationships can sign up now to obtain health insurance for their domestic partners, with coverage starting next year.

Coats said several gay and lesbian employees had approached him about the issue after he took office in 2004. When the Sheriff's Office broke away from the county's health insurance plan about a year ago, Coats said, he began looking at the issue closer before deciding to go forward with it.

Coats' decision won praise from local advocates of rights for gays and lesbians.

"We think it's a fantastic move," said Brian Winfield, the communications director for Equality Florida. "It's an effective way of attracting and keeping very talented employees."

But Vance Lackore, the co-chairman of the Christian Coalition of Pinellas County, said he disagreed with Coats.

"It's granting recognition to something that is strongly against biblical values," he said.

In March 2004, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio granted benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city government employees, including Tampa police officers. Iorio said the decision was the fulfillment of a campaign promise stemming from the shooting death in July 2001 of Tampa police Officer Lois Marrero, whose domestic partner later was denied pension benefits.

Cities around the state have offered similar benefits to gay and lesbian employees, but it appears fewer counties have done so.

Locally, St. Petersburg and Hillsborough and Pinellas counties do not offer health insurance for partners of gay and lesbian employees. But David Blasewitz, an employee benefits manager for Pinellas County, said county employees are studying the issue.

The Sheriff's Office plans to offer health insurance not only to the partners, but also to their children.

Interested employees must fill out a declaration of domestic partnership, which defines domestic partners as two people of the same gender who live together in a long-term relationship and agree to share financial obligations. They must provide proof of their shared finances such as a joint lease or joint ownership of an automobile.

The Sheriff's Office does not keep track of the sexual orientation of employees; Coats expects the decision to have minimal fiscal impact.

Asked if he expects other sheriffs to follow his decision, Coats replied: "I would think that it would be a benefit in this day and age that a lot of other employers should consider offering."

Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 727 893-8472.

[Last modified November 22, 2006, 08:29:57]