[NEWS RELEASE] Sarasota County Moves Forward on Domestic Partnership Registry
Sarasota County Moves Forward on
Domestic Partnership Registry
(SARASOTA, FL) -- On Wednesday, October 9, Sarasota County voted 5-0 to move forward on a countywide domestic partnership registry after removing the parental education rights language.
A Domestic Partnership Registry is a simple legal tool that provides access to a handful of essential family protections, including hospital visitation, emergency services and the ability for one’s partner to make funeral arrangements. More and more places are learning the benefits of offering domestic partnerships, recognizing that Domestic Partner Registries are the best way for local governments to create the strongest protections for unmarried couples.
"I am thrilled that the Sarasota County Commission voted today to protect our diverse families by moving forward with public hearings on a domestic partnership registry, which has been modeled after other Florida communities," said Ken Shelin, Board member of Equality Florida. A resident of Sarasota, Shelin has been actively involved in advocating for the registry, meeting with commissioners and speaking at public hearings.
Among the many municipalities in Florida with domestic partner registries are Sarasota, Venice, Gainesville, Tampa, Orlando, Volusia County, Pinellas County, Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami Dade County.
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