In the city of Starkville’s last regular meeting, the board of aldermen voted to implement a “plus-one” insurance plan which, among other things, allows a city employee to add another adult to their health insurance policy.
Soon after the board passed the plan, the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization for the LGBT community, issued a press release, suggesting the insurance expansion was intended for same-sex partners.
There are two things to note about the plan.
First, while Mayor Parker Wiseman is correct in saying that the change does more than allow same-sex partners of city employees access to health insurance — it offers more coverage options for dependents and live-in partners — there is little question providing that coverage is far more than an unintended consequence.
Second, the call for a special meeting held Monday to consider rescinding the plan, which came at the behest of aldermen Lisa Wynn and Ben Carver, is yet another example of some aldermen not performing their due diligence when these proposals are first presented.
Ultimately, Carver’s proposal to rescind the decision did not get a second and no vote was required.
This was likely not a matter of simply having second thoughts and wanting more information, as Carver claims. Rather it is far more likely a function of getting an earful from constituents for whom any efforts to extend rights to same-sex couples is viewed as morally or politically abhorrent.
We saw a similar reaction in January when the aldermen passed an anti-discrimination policy that included protection for same-sex couples. Then as now, there were aldermen who said later they failed to read carefully the proposal and did not understand its implications. More likely, they did not understand the reaction it would produce.
In either case, it says something none too flattering about how these aldermen handle their responsibilities.
While Wiseman noted the new plan will extend coverage beyond the same-sex framework, there is no question that the city understood the implications of providing heath insurance to the same-sex partners of employees. It is disingenuous to suggest offering that coverage was not a clear goal.
Given that the city passed the non-discrimination resolution earlier this year, expanding benefits to same-sex partners of city employees is a natural “next step.”
We can find no reasonable objection to the city’s new health plan. It represents no additional burden to taxpayers while expanding health insurance to those who might not otherwise have access to it.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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