AZ Gov. Brewer fights same-sex partner benefits

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Gov. Jan Brewer has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Arizona to eliminate health-care benefits for state employees' same-sex partners. A lower-court ruling declared a state law cutting the service unconstitutional.

The Arizona attorney general on July 2 filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, which is essentially an appeal to the high court to hear the case.

The case centers on whether the state can eliminate health coverage for same-sex domestic partners of state and university employees. Those employees sued the state, alleging discrimination. The state believes the law is constitutional.

When Brewer signed House Bill 2013 in 2009, she overturned a 2008 executive order from her predecessor, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, who had used her powers to grant coverage to domestic partners.

The 2009 law also eliminated health coverage for several other groups, including heterosexual domestic partners and adult children. Only the portion cutting services for heterosexual partners is in effect.

Lawmakers passed the law in response to the state's budget crisis.

In 2010, Arizona spent about $3million on domestic-partner benefits, a fraction of the $625million spent on benefits for all employees. Gay and lesbian couples represented a small minority of the domestic partners who participated in the plan that year.

The U.S. District Court in Arizona and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have said the state must continue providing benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian workers.

In its unanimous ruling, the three-judge Appeals Court panel said the state is not obligated to provide health-care benefits but said denying them to a specific group of employees violates the equal-protection provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

The court also said the state's policy unfairly impacted gay and lesbian workers because, unlike their heterosexual counterparts, they cannot legally marry under state law.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/07/09/20120709gov-jan-brewer-asks-supreme-court-hear-benefits-case.html#ixzz20GtngZ21

[Darnell 8,479]

You Go Jan !

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Good for her. I like this Arizona governor...she does her job.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

She hates gays and Mexicans?

I wonder if she likes women.

[Darnell 8,479]

What's wrong with gays and Mexicans?

One has legal status in Canada, the other in Mexico..

[that was a quip, a retort, a snort - please don't flame me]

Edited July 11, 2012 by Darnell

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

She hates gays and Mexicans?

I wonder if she likes women.

That would be a double bonus imo.

[Danno 1,228]

I love tough women... but from a distance.

Jan For V.P. 2012

[Obama 2012 1,714]

All benefits to public employee spouses should be eliminated.

The taxpayer base shouldn't fund any 'extras.'

[Danno 1,228]

All benefits to public employee spouses should be eliminated.

The taxpayer base shouldn't fund any 'extras.'

Kids too?