The Otsego County board last week had no problem sending a message to the county treasurer about gay marriage and health benefits:
Don't discriminate and deny married same-sex couples the benefits that other married couples are eligible to receive.
With four members absent, all Board of Representatives members present last Wednesday night voted to nullify an amendment to the county's employee health plan that excludes same-sex spouses and others from coverage.
The move struck down a change in language made by Treasurer Myrna Thayne that listed civil-union partners, same-sex spouses or domestic partners of county employees as ineligible for health care coverage. Common-law spouses of county employees had already been listed as ineligible for health care coverage.
Thayne, who serves as administrator of the county's self-insured plan, has said she made the change as a way to save the county money. ``As the administrator of the plan, it's my duty to try to contain costs, and this is part of that,'' she said.
While it is important in this belt-tightening era to contain spending, you have to wonder if someday she would want to deny benefits to children of employees just to save the county money.
Some supporters of gay rights spoke before last week's meeting to urge the board to reject Thayne's move. One speaker said the treasurer was trying to prevent gay couples who legally marry in jurisdictions that permit same-sex marriage, such as Massachusetts, California or Ontario, from collecting benefits to which they should be entitled.
New York state does not recognize same-sex marriages. However, Democratic Gov. David Paterson in May ordered all state agencies to prepare for recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. That order is being challenged in court.
The state has not adopted a law that addresses same-sex spousal insurance coverage, although the coverage is extended to state workers.
But even before listening to last week's arguments, it appeared the minds of the county reps had already been set.
Board Chairman James Powers, R-Butternuts, said after the meeting that he did not expect to see the county take up the issue of recognizing same-sex marriage because the issue is being worked out at the state level.
He said he expects the state will eventually recognize gay marriages performed out of state and will also allow them to be performed within New York.
Earlier, Powers had said that Thayne's move ``was done wrong and it is wrong, period. Gay people get sick, too, and when they do, they need medical attention.''
The fact that the treasurer acted without input from board committees or reps in general did perturb some board members.
Powers pointed out that the board sent a letter to Thayne directing her not to take such actions in the future without consulting board members.
And as the chairman said, we too ``hope to put this behind us and move on.''
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