Smart employers know that offering good salaries and perks will help attract the best and brightest employees. That's why a growing number, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies, are choosing to extend health insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners. It's a logical step for companies that genuinely seek to end workplace discrimination.
The public sector is moving to do the same, which makes it all the more unfortunate that Gov. Martin O'Malley has not chosen to provide such a benefit to state employees. As Baltimore's mayor, he did it for city workers. At least 15 states, including Maine, Arizona and Montana, provide coverage, too, as do Maryland's Howard and Montgomery counties, several school systems and a host of smaller Maryland municipalities.
Gay rights advocates say they think Mr. O'Malley is simply running scared. The suspicion is that the governor, whose popularity dropped after last year's tax package was approved, is not interested in getting bashed by partisan critics as someone who raised taxes to make sure gays have better health insurance.