Florida Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, proposes statewide domestic partners registry

Florida's Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee on Tuesday will discuss proposed legislation from state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, SB 196: Families First, which would create a statewide domestic partners registry:

Families First; Setting forth fees and costs to be applied when petitioning for a dissolution of a domestic partnership or registering a domestic partnership, respectively; requiring that certain fees relating to declarations of domestic partnership and dissolution of domestic partnership filings be deposited in the Displaced Homemaker Trust Fund; requiring two individuals who wish to become partners in a domestic partnership to complete and file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership form with the clerk of the circuit court; providing methods to prove the existence of a registered Declaration Domestic Partnership when the certificate document has been lost or is otherwise unavailable, etc.

As expected, gay-rights groups support the bill and conservative groups are against it.

From Equality Florida:

Next Tuesday the Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs will hold a hearing on the Families First bill.

The bill, SB 196 by Senator Sobel, would create a statewide domestic partnership registry. The bill would allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples to register and receive all of the vital legal protections for their families that the state can provide. This includes hospital visitation, correctional facility visitation, end of life decision making and burial arrangements.

A majority of Floridians already live in a local community that has a domestic partnership registry. Places like Pinellas County, Volusia County, Orange County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Key West, Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, Tavares, Clearwater and North Miami already have registries. The Families First bill would eliminate the patchwork of policies and allow people to have important legal protections for their family, no matter where they live.

We need your help to ensure this bill passes out of committee! Right now, make three phone calls to members of the committee and urge them to vote yes on SB 196, Families First by Senator Sobel.

Senator Thad Altman (Melbourne) – (850) 487-5016
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (Miami) – (850) 487-5040
Senator Charlie Dean (Inverness) – (850) 487-5005
Call these senators and say:

"Hi, my name is _____ and I am calling to urge Senator _____ to vote in favor of SB 196 when it comes up in Children, Families and Elder Affairs on Feb. 19. This bill will help ensure Florida is truly putting Families First by allowing committed couples to have important legal protections for their families. Over a dozen places in Florida have already passed policies on the local level, but with the Families First bill, these protections would be available statewide. Please vote yes on SB 196."

From Florida Family Association:

Republican Florida Senate President Don Gaetz gives committee chair to liberal Democrat so she can push Domestic Partnerships (ie Gay Marriage.)

Committee votes February 19, 2013, 1:00 PM

Click here to send your email to Senators on the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs committee to oppose Domestic Partnership Bill 196.

The Children, Families, and Elder Affairs committee will hear the Domestic Partnership bill SB 196 Families First on February 19, 2013 at 1:00 PM.

The scenario that surrounds a Florida Senate Committee considering in essence a “gay marriage” bill is just as alarming as the bill being considered in the first place.

Florida is governed by a Republican majority in the House, Senate, Cabinet and Governor’s office.  So why did Republican Florida Senate President Don Gaetz assign the Chair for the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs to the liberal Democratic Senator Eleanor Sobel who is sponsoring a domestic partnership bill?

SB 196 ironically named “Families First” would set up a Domestic Partnership registry in Florida.   Here is the language of the bill:  “Families First; Setting forth fees and costs to be applied when petitioning for a dissolution of a domestic partnership or registering a domestic partnership, respectively; requiring that certain fees relating to declarations of domestic partnership and dissolution of domestic partnership filings be deposited in the Displaced Homemaker Trust Fund; requiring two individuals who wish to become partners in a domestic partnership to complete and file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership form with the clerk of the circuit court; providing methods to prove the existence of a registered Declaration Domestic Partnership when the certificate document has been lost or is otherwise unavailable, etc.”

Homosexual activists are essentially using the Families First ie Domestic Partnership bill SB 196 to legalize same sex marriage in Florida. 

Every alleged benefit of this legislation can be accomplished through private contract or authorization forms.  In all cases Health Care Surrogate, Power of Attorney and other lawful designations of authority by one person to another must be performed on a separate private agreement form.  This negates the need for this legislation.

SB 196 does nothing but add government bureaucracy while advancing legal recognition of same sex relationships.  

Heterosexual couples are not demanding this legislation.  They can marry if they want their relationship legally recognized.

SB 196 is being pushed by homosexual activists who demand that the State of Florida legally recognize same-sex relationships.

Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send to Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and members of the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs committee.

To send your email, please click the following link, enter your name and email address then click the "Send Your Message" button.  You may change the subject and/or text of the email.

Please click here to send your email to send to Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and members of the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs committee.

Comments

[boarderthom]

Whether you are an evangelical Christian who believes that homosexuality is a sin, or a gay activist working for equal access to civil rights, it seems we all need to go through a process of forgiveness and reconciliation. As the Dalai Lama has said, "All of us want to be happy. No one wants to suffer. If we act and behave with that in mind, then it will be a good thing".

[boarderthom]

The religious right is fond of saying, "Love the homosexual, hate the sin". I say, "Love the religious bigot, disagree with the religious bigotry".

[stanJames]

Love the sinner hate the sin - its actually a subliminal message that for many evangelicals reads as
Hate the sinner"

These are of course mostly the southern baptist types who justified slavery as per the bible and gave us segregation etc.

Gays are just the latest victims of their quasi Islamic beliefs re gay people.

[george stark]

Sorry I am Gay I am married for 3 years. Your stupid

[george stark]

Oh I live in Florida and if NY has full recognition, I am sure they will want my money and I can relocate my business along with my money.