Giannoulias approves benefits for domestic partners

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias Sunday signed an executive order enabling gay and lesbian employees in his office who have domestic partners to receive the same rights and benefits as married employees.

Effective immediately, the move extends the Family and Medical Leave Act to gay and lesbian employees in committed relationships. That means that those employees can take unpaid time off to care for a sick partner or relative without threat of losing their jobs. It also means that those employees can take bereavement leave following the death of their partner or a member of a partner's immediate family.

Before Giannoulias' action, employees could take off work for up to 12 unpaid weeks to provide care for a spouse, child or parent. "But if an employee's domestic partner falls ill, he or she does not have legally protected leave and would risk losing their job," he said at a news conference held at the Thompson Center in Chicago. "They're essentially out of luck. Hardworking men and women devoted to their families should not have to choose between their family and keeping their job."

Giannoulias is running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate in November against Republican Mark Kirk. Giannoulias said he would answer critics who suggest this is just a publicity stunt in an election year.

"This is the right thing to do. It's the only reason that I'm doing this. It's about fairness and equality. It's not about politics at all," he said.

A Kirk spokeswoman, however, said Giannoulias should focus on other issues in the treasurer's office.

"Congressman Kirk has always backed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and agrees with President Obama that there shouldn't be discrimination in the workplace. We wish Treasurer Giannoulias had issued a more impressive order to make whole the Bright Start families that lost their colleges savings under Giannoulias's failed management," said Kirk spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski on Sunday.

In order to receive the new benefits, employees must sign an affidavit confirming that they are in a committed long-term relationship.

"While this may be a first in Illinois state agencies, nine states, as well as the District of Columbia, have implemented some kind of leave-related benefits relating to domestic partners," Giannoulias said.

Giannoulias said the treasurer's office has satellite offices in Mount Vernon, the Quad Cities and Rockford that also would be affected by the order.

When asked why he waited three and a half years into a four-year term to take this action, he said, "I think what's more important is us being the leader."