Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/135276
Sarasota News Leader June 7, 2013 and Elder Affairs Committee when it took The state's ignored this issue. So up the bill introduced again this year by Sen. what do you do? You create chaos Eleanor Sobel of Hol- across the state. lywood, he added. Charles Hines That bill never got out of the committee, Shelin continued, and a companion bill never was heard in the House. "[The creation of a statewide domestic partnership registry is] not going to happen in the state Legislature," he said. Commissioner Sarasota County Page 14 However, Robinson said she felt conferring healthcare and funeral/burial rights to individuals "are valid things we can do" through creation of a registry. Patterson told Shelin, "I guess I feel like what you're trying to accomplish is a good thing," but the only way she could support a county registry was if it had no enforcement or reciprocity provisions. Otherwise, she said, "I think we're kind of mis"But it is a practical matter," Shelin point- leading people on this, that we're giving them ed out. "How do you help these people … if some rights that we really don't have the abilyou keep saying it's the state's responsibility, ity to give." when, in fact, the state's demonstrated an unwillingness to do it." THE BACKGROUND Commissioner Nora Patterson responded that much of what he was proposing in a county registry could be handled by partners signing healthcare surrogate forms and other legal papers. During his presentation to the board on June 5 in Sarasota, Shelin noted that half of the state's population lives within a jurisdiction that has a domestic partnership registry. Among those local government entities are The County Commission considers a matter earlier in the year. Photo by Norman Schimmel