Sen. Sobel calls for across-the-state rights for domestic partners
Senator Sobel Calls for Across-The-State Rights for Domestic Partners
Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, said at a press conference today that SB 196 would solve the “patchwork” problem of some counties and cities having domestic-partner registries and others that do not.
Eighteen Florida cities and counties have domestic-partner registries, available to both gay and straight couples, including Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Orange, as do cities like Gainesville, Miami Beach, Sarasota, Tampa and Tavares.
“This is very, very important to many, many new Florida families…to allow them to have legal protections. It ends the patchwork and they will no longer be concerned with city and county boundaries,” Sobel said.
Her Families First bill provides the process for a couple to declare a domestic partnership and also terminate the union. When it came before the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs committee two weeks ago, Sobel asked for time to amend it to try to satisfy objections by committee members.