by ABC-7 Reporter Martin Bartlett

EL PASO, Texas -- The city of El Paso will extend insurance benefits to unmarried partners of gay and straight city employees.

City Council members voted 7-1 early Tuesday afternoon to include the benefits in the budget for 2010. Only Northeast City Rep. Carl Robinson voted against the measure.

They heard hours of public comments before making their decision.

The city estimates only a few dozen employees will be affected by the policy change, but several dozen people let City Council know how they feel about the controversial plan.

For the third time in three weeks, City Council listened as a parade of taxpayers lauded and chastised Council's decision on benefits.

"Please cast your vote against sexual immorality," said Larry Brown, a local pastor.

State Senator Eliot Shapleigh and others encouraged Council to vote in favor of extending the benefits. Read his letter to City Council by clicking on the link to the left.

"The issue before you today is justice," said Larry Bach, a rabbi.

This time, Council members were allowed to respond.

"One of the gentleman compared homosexuality to pedophilia, and that is just false, and I am absolutely not going to stand for that," said City Rep. Susie Byrd.

Lower Valley City Rep. Eddie Holguin said it is precisely because of his religious upbringing that he voted for the benefits.

"In that upbringing I have always been taught not to judge... And that's why I have supported and do support treating everyone equally."

He also commented on some of the criticism speakers have leveled against the proposal in the past several weeks. "Why do many of the hateful things that are said here come from people who call themselves Christian?"

Eastside City Rep. Rachel Quintana said before the debate, she was only 60 percent sure she favored the plan.

"I have gone (up) 40 percent to being 100 percent in favor of this today."

And Robinson said all the debate didn't change his mind, either. Once again, he was the lone vote against extending benefits.

"There are labels that have been placed on me. I'm not moved. I will not be moved," he said. He hinted at religious reasons for his 'no' vote, but also said it would be illegal for the city to extend benefits to unwed partners.

"I'm just going to ask the city attorney's office to please clarify, I'd assume they aren't letting us vote on anything that's illegal," Byrd said.

"The constitutional amendment only talks about defining marriage. This does not define marriage or a relationship, the city can chose to extend benefits to anybody it likes," said Laura Gordon of the city attorney's office.

City Manager Joyce Wilson said El Paso taxpayers pay about 60 percent of benefits offered to city employees. The employees, in turn, have to pay about 40 percent.