LGBT advocates say community’s input critical as agency’s directors prepare to take up plan approved by committee in 5-2 vote this week
MAN WITH THE PLANS | Michael Muhammad, DART vice president of diversity and innovative services, presents three DP benefits proposals at the committee meeting on Tuesday. (Anna Waugh/Dallas Voice)
Members of DART’s administrative committee approved a plan Tuesday, Feb. 12, to offer domestic partner benefits to the regional transit agency’s gay and lesbian employees.
The committee discussed three plans but approved one in a 5-2 vote that would offer healthcare to an employee’s same- or opposite-sex partner and their children. According to previously released documents, the plan could cost anywhere from $76,860 to $929,758, depending on how many people enroll.
The plan is now set to go before the entire DART Board of Directors on Feb. 26.
Resource Center Dallas’ Rafael McDonnell and lesbian activist Cd Kirven attended the meeting and were glad the committee approved the plan.
“I’m happy that we’re seeing forward movement,” McDonnell said.
They stressed the importance of the LGBT community reaching out to DART board members so they understand the need to vote in favor of the change.
“We need their help,” Kirven said. “I’m excited.”
Michael Muhammad, DART’s vice president of diversity and innovative services, explained the three proposed plans to committee members, including one that would allow both a partner and another dependent to be covered. Muhammad said that would guard against any legal challenges and would require an employee to have a guardianship for the relative to be eligible for DP benefits. But that plan was the most expensive at $355,236 to $1,625,697.
After 20 minutes in executive session, committee vice chair Claude Williams made a motion to vote on the most expensive plan, which would cover partners and another dependent. But the motion failed to get a second.
It seemed that the committee would hold off on a vote until next month, but then committee member Pamela Dunlop Gates made a motion to vote on the plan that would cover either a same- or opposite-sex partner, which received a second and ultimately passed by two votes.
Gates, Williams, Jerry Christian, William Tsao and Richard Carrizale voted in favor of the plan. Randall Chrisman and Gary Slagel voted against it.
To be eligible, employees would have to have lived together for at least one year and sign a domestic partnership affidavit. They would also have to provide two other documents proving their shared residency.
If approved by the full board, the plan would take effect in January 2014. Contact info for board members is at DART.org/about/board/board
bios/boardbios.asp.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 15, 2013.