Sarasota News Leader
March 1, 2013
Page 40
cuss DeMarsh���s report, Reid continued, a staff
member in the commission office would contact Shelin about scheduling a formal presentation.
���So the bill is being revised,��� he pointed out.
���They expect to bring it back within another
week or so. ��� I have heard no date at this
point.���
Reid added, ���I would suggest the registry is a
potentially controversial item and the Commission desires to understand fully the additional liability, parameters and use of this device should the County sponsor or maintain
the registry.���
This is the fifth consecutive year Sobel has
introduced such a bill in the Legislature.
The local ordinances that have been adopted
by municipalities and counties ��� including
the City of Sarasota ��� are ���very specific and
constrained,��� Shelin explained. However, Sobel���s bill provided for a large number of rights
for domestic partners.
The only potentially positive factor for such
a bill, Shelin told the News Leader on Feb.
26, would be a U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
unconstitutional.
In the meantime, Shelin said, he had the opportunity over the past weekend to talk with
Democratic state Rep. Darryl Rouson of St.
Petersburg, who co-sponsored a domestic
partnership registry bill in the State House.
THE SENATE BILL
Rouson said that bill still had not been schedDuring a telephone interview with the News uled for a hearing and he did not know whethLeader on Feb. 26, Shelin said he testified on er it ever would be, Shelin added.
Feb. 19 when Senate Bill 196 was heard during Rouson represents part of Manatee County in
a meeting of the Children, Families and Elder the Legislature.
Affairs Committee, which is chaired by the
bill���s sponsor, Sen. Eleanor Sobel, a Democrat Shelin pointed out in his email to the News
Leader, ���A five year history of failure to deal
from Hollywood.
with [domestic partnership registry] legislaThe members, Shelin said, ���felt that the bill tion at the state level tells us it is unlikely to
was too broad.���
happen this year ������
The high court is scheduled to hear that case
When state Sen. Nancy Detert of Venice, who this session, and the Obama Administration
is a member of that committee, asked the pri- has filed a brief with the court asking that
DOMA be struck down.
vate attorney who had drafted the bill how
many rights it would confer, the attorney re- If the Supreme Court does declare DOMA unsponded the number was about 800, Shelin constitutional, Shelin said, ���Then who knows
what���s going to happen.��� %
continued.
