MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Both Meridian Township and City of East Lansing pass ordinances regarding human relations. According to the State News, the East Lansing City Council voted 4-0 to approve the Domestic Partnership Registry ordinance. Meridian Township approved modifications to the Human Relations Ordinance, changing the terms “family responsibilities” to “familial status” and changing the term “sex’ to “gender”

According to a memo written by Human Resources Director Deb LaPine, the definition of “familial status” “means:

...one or more individuals under the age of 18 residing with a parent or other person having custody or in the process of securing legal custody of the individual or individuals or residing with the designee of the parent or other person having or securing custody, with the written permission of the parent or other person. “Parent” includes a person who is pregnant.

Changes to the ordinance did include some exceptions to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act such as lowering the age from 55 to 50 penalties for an employer who refuses to provide benefits to non-employees.

The Township Board also passed a motion to make the assign fees for violating the ordinance ranging from $150 to $500.