Jackson Twp Passes Domestic Partner Benefits

by: Juan Melli

Mon Jan 23, 2006 at 11:40:08 PM EST

From what I can see, I'm only one of millions who's been touched in a very big way by Lt. Hester's story. Her dignity and the incredible bravery she's displayed at the end of her life in wanting to change the world has inspired me to realize that as an elected official I should be standing by her side.

Equal Rights for All Americans

Like many other people around the world, I've been learning a great deal recently about the issue of Domestic Partner rights that has placed Ocean County front and center on the world's stage through the incredibly courageous story of Ocean County's own hometown hero, Lt. Laurel Hester of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

From what I can see, I'm only one of millions who's been touched in a very big way by Lt. Hester's story. Her dignity and the incredible bravery she's displayed at the end of her life in wanting to change the world has inspired me to realize that as an elected official I should be standing by her side.

I've been approached by a lot of people in Jackson and elsewhere about this issue. I was very pleased to learn that the overwhelming majority of them agree with me that this is an important civil rights issue; an issue that as Americans we all have to address. To me, it seems like it's nothing other than a very simple matter of fundamental fairness and Equal Rights for All Americans. If it weren't for Lt Hester's heart-wrenching story, I would probably not have paid much attention to this issue.

But now I have, and I'm alarmed to learn of the loop holes New Jersey law dealing with Domestic Partnership Rights.  I've found there are a lot of gaps in existing state laws that have been created in recent years and quite frankly in my estimation need to be closed.

For example, right now, state law discriminates against government workers based on their sexual orientation according to which particular state pension system they happen to be a member of.

These inequalities must be fixed and I think we here in Jackson should take the lead at the local level and begin to right the inexcusable injustice that's being wrought upon New Jersey's residents based on nothing more than the gender of their life partner.

Therefore I ask my colleagues tonight to join me in authorizing our attorney to prepare a resolution for adoption at the next Township Committee meeting; a resolution that will grant domestic partner pension benefits to all Jackson Township employees.

In addition, I would ask that the Township Committee further authorize the Township Attorney to prepare a resolution formally supporting the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders in their decision to grant Domestic Partner Pension Benefits and our Ocean County legislative delegation in their efforts to convince the New Jersey legislature that we all have to join together, Republicans and Democrats alike,  in Jackson, in New Jersey, and indeed throughout America, to right these horrible wrongs being perpetrated against all of our fellow human beings such as Lt. Laurel Hester. Thank You.