Orange Co. Mayor: No domestic partner registry

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs has blocked the creation of a domestic partner registry.

Jacobs said she supports a system where any resident, gay or straight, can assign a person to make important decisions for them ranging from health care to funeral arrangements.

"Whether it's a husband or a wife or a best friend or somebody that you live with," said Jacobs.

Supporters of the domestic partner registry criticized the mayor's alternative plan.

"Me and my colleagues here tonight are very, extremely disappointed," said Mary Meeks, a gay and lesbian activist.

More than 100 gay and lesbian activists held an emergency town hall meeting on Monday night to discuss Jacob's decision.

The city of Orlando implemented a domestic partner registry this month. The city passed the registry into law as an ordinance last year.

"She's proposing a very weak, inferior alternative to that. That we think is a complete sham," said Meeks.

The Orlando ordinance requires the city to recognize the same-sex relations.

"My philosophy is, you don't create laws if they aren't necessary," said Jacobs.