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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A judge will be asked if Salt Lake City can legally offer health insurance benefits to unmarried partners of city employees.
A plan approved by the city council allows employees to sign up "adult designees" for health insurance. The two must live together and be financially dependent. Such designees could be domestic partners, relatives or roommates. The council says it will subsidize the plan by about 225 thousand dollars this year.
The Utah Public Employees Health Program, which administers the city's health insurance, wants a judge to review the plan.
The program wonders if the council's plan violates Utah's traditional marriage laws that forbid recognizing unions other than marriage. The gay community also wants clarification on the law.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
