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Sarasota News Leader May 31, 2013 Page 54 COUNTY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER A DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRY The Sarasota County Commission will hear a presentation on the morning of June 5 regarding a proposal for the creation of a countywide domestic partnership registry. Ken Shelin, a former Sarasota city commissioner and an advocate of such registries, told The Sarasota News Leader he expects the presentation to follow approval of the board's consent agenda. "[It] will likely occur around 10 AM," he advised supporters in a May 23 email. "We have had notable success getting registries created in the City of Sarasota and the City of Venice," he pointed out in the email. "Progress has also been made in North Port, but more needs to be done there." Although a bill introduced in the Florida Senate to create a statewide domestic partnership registry received one favorable vote in committee this year, "[the bill] never got to the floor of the Senate and was never discussed in a House committee," Shelin continued. "Since Ken Shelin/Contributed photo the state legislative session … is already over, nothing further can be accomplished this County Commission meeting as a sign of their support. year." It took five years for a bill to get a positive "We filled the City of Sarasota Commission reaction in committee, he added. The bill was chambers a year ago on May 21st and kicked off a powerful start to the successful effort in introduced again this year by Sen. Eleanor Sothe City of Sarasota," he pointed out. bel of Hollywood, a Democrat. The committee that heard it was one she chaired, the Chil- The County Commission meeting will be held dren, Families and Elder Affairs Committee. in the Administration Center located at 1660 Ringling Blvd. in downtown Sarasota. Shelin is encouraging fellow advocates of a countywide registry to wear red shirts to the Rachel Brown Hackney facebook.com/SarasotaNewsLeader