Mayor hopeful airs rights agenda
Becker plans bias law, more benefits for same-sex duos
"Discrimination has no place in a great American city," Becker wrote in his announcement. "While Salt Lake's human rights policies are the most progressive in Utah, there is more that can be done to ensure that all residents and visitors are treated with greater equality and respect."
Becker, a Democrat and minority leader in the state House of Representatives, lists his proposed initiatives in three categories: comprehensive ordinances and policies, domestic partner policies, and compliance and enforcement.
Under comprehensive ordinances and policies, Becker includes such ideas as transforming the city's Office of Diversity — newly renamed from the Office of Minority Affairs — the Office of Human Rights, "acknowledging a broader set of human rights belong to all residents of our city."
Becker would also push for a nondiscrimination policy that specifies classes of protected individuals.
He would also require companies that the city does business with to have specific nondiscrimination policies. He would push for a hate-crimes ordinance and develop policies on bullying and equal access.
Under his proposals for domestic partnerships, Becker would establish a city registry for domestic partners and require that companies doing business with the city offer the same benefits to same-sex partners that they offer to married couples.
Becker would also alter the city's retirement policy to allow employees to name domestic partners as their beneficiaries.
The City Council has instituted a program that extends city benefits to any adult designees of city employees, including long-term roommates, adult siblings and parents, as well as domestic partners.
Anderson criticized the council for not specifically making the policy about domestic partners and vetoed the ordinance, but council members unanimously overrode the veto.
Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, who is also running for mayor, has twice tried to extend benefits at the county level to domestic partners of county employees but has not been successful.
Becker's proposals for implementation and compliance include ensuring the continued viability of the beleaguered Civilian Review Board, which monitors police actions, and emphasizing "the importance of diversity training in every city department."
E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com
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