Overview

• Supervisor Matt Dorsey asked the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office to assess the cost and savings of pausing enforcement or repealing the 1996 Equal Benefits Ordinance.
• The ordinance bars the city from contracting with firms that do not offer domestic partner benefits, a policy introduced before nationwide marriage equality.
• Dorsey argues that post-Obergefell reality has made the rule redundant and that a 5% cost reduction could free up to $290 million for other services.
• LGBTQ advocates and former supervisors, including Tom Ammiano and Rafael Mandelman, caution that removing the ordinance risks undermining longstanding civil-rights protections in light of potential challenges to marriage equality.
• No formal repeal legislation has been filed yet, with board members awaiting the analyst’s report before considering any policy change.