Guest AuthorGenerally, what conservatives want in the New Year is less government, but every once in a while an issue arises that genuinely does require a statewide approach – gambling, for instance. Only Florida could make it into the year 2013 without a centralized gaming commission.
How about another one that all Floridians should get behind — a statewide domestic registration bill similar to the one Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, filed earlier this year.
Wait – what? Is this a conservative voice advocating gay marriage? No, not at all. The Florida Constitution is clear on the matter and doesn’t really give citizens a choice. It’s going to be very difficult to remove that amendment.
This is why I almost reflexively oppose constitutional amendments. The only one I can see supporting is making the Legislature live by the laws they pass, and we’ll get to that in another column.
I am blessed to have parents still alive in their 80s. I act as part-time caregiver, which allows them a semi-independent lifestyle, except when they have to go to the doctor or the hospital for surgery. I have in the last two years learned a great deal about medical procedures, and take the notes, ask the questions, and help to ensure their after-care procedures are followed diligently.
About a year ago, a girlfriend of mine was laid up in the hospital. Her family was at her side, and yet, because of the experience with my parents, I was the person who interacted with her physicians and nurses.
Now, here’s the key point – I HAD NO LEGAL STANDING in that room. We aren’t married, and so because her family trusts me, I had input, but legally speaking, the family could have had hospital security toss me out and there’s nothing that could be done about it.
My more conservative friends might just ask “why not just get married, then you don’t need a domestic registration bill”?
Well, great question. She has a son from a prior marriage. As part of that divorce agreement, the son cannot move beyond a certain distance without the permission of the father. I own a business outside that zone, and my business partners have a legal say in affairs because of the private shareholder agreement we made years ago.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg in complexities, but our situation is fairly easy compared to many heterosexual couples over age 50 — many kids, multiple marriages, and legal entanglements not the least of which is now confusing parts of Obamacare legislation.
Half of Florida’s population lives in cities or counties with domestic registration laws, and the other half does not. Which region takes precedence if a registration is entered into? I have no idea, and have little interest in paying an attorney to find out.
So yes, this conservative is advocating that the Legislature take on an issue that will grow more complex as the population ages.
And who knows, maybe the Republican-dominated Legislature can actually get it right this time on a social issue. It’s not about same-sex marriage, it’s not about getting around the Florida Constitution.
It’s about helping families, some in non-traditional relationships, deal with complex situations in the world in which we live, and that is what government should do.
