On Tuesday June 17 Metro council will vote on the third and final reading of Ordinance No. BL2014-779 that will provide domestic partner benefits for Nashville government employees.
Metro Parks & Recreation staffer Bob Benson is hopeful it will pass. “It’s looking good,” he said. “We’re thinking positively.”
“Tuesday’s meeting is not gonna be as lengthy as the last one, which went on until like 11:00 at night,” said Benson. “It was outrageous. They’ll do a normal council meeting and toward the end of the meeting is when they take up the bills that are on third reading. Typically what they do is pass all the third reading bills just as a one vote thing. We’re kind of hoping that it just quietly passes along with all the other bills on third reading because there really hasn’t been any vocal opposition to this at all.”
Benson explained why the council needs to vote on every bill three times. "The third reading is generally like a first reading. You have all these bills on first reading and rather than debate them all then they usually accept them in a lump. So then it goes to second reading which for us was at the last meeting two weeks ago and that’s when they really debate the bill and listen to people speak about it. That's when they voted to pass it so, yeah hopefully this time Tuesday night is just a simple vote for the third reading."
Along with TEP, Benson is hoping for a strong turnout of community support as the council casts its last collective vote on this topic. “Probably around 6-ish or a little after six o’clock we hope that other supporters will show up wearing blue to support the cause. The council meeting starts at 6:30 so you can take a seat anytime between those times.”
“People can just show up any time after six o’clock at the metro courthouse council chambers,” he said. “We’ll spot each other. Everybody will be wearing blue, it’ll be nice, and then there’ll be a little after party afterwards.”
Supporters are also asked to stick around and find their way to Antica Nashville on Main Street. “It’ll be around 8 o’clock at a place called Antica, I think it’s in the Fifth & Main building. It’s mostly a thank you party, thank you to all the supporters and council members who stepped up to introduce this bill and just have a nice time.”
TEP has set up an event page on Facebook for both the council meeting as well as the thank you party.