Nearly half of New Jersey's 21 counties now offer domestic partner benefits. Tonight, Morris County - the most populous traditionally Republican county in the state - became the 10th county to grant domestic partner benefits. Morris County will now offer both health and pension benefits to domestic partners of county employees. The other counties offering domestic partner benefits are Bergen, Hudson, Mercer, Union, Monmouth, Camden, Passaic, Ocean and Essex. The ten counties are in the top 12 of the most populous counties and together they constitute over 2/3rds (67.8%) of the state's population.
In an email to supporters, Steve Goldstein of Garden State Equality commented:
Most impressively, the Morris County freeholders took this step with minimal pressure from the LGBTI community, truly doing the right thing on their own. Morris' action will no doubt accelerate the pace of the rest of New Jersey's 21 counties to do the same. We're seeing an unbelievable phenomenon in New Jersey now where counties in New Jersey, including Republican counties, are jumping all over each other to expand the rights of the LGBTI community.
Congratulations to the Morris County freeholders for doing the right thing. Which county will be next?
