Arizona Moves To Ban Gay Partner Benefits

Last year Arizona's legislature voted to stop offering insurance to the gay partners of state employees. Purely to save money, don't you know. That move was blocked by a judge thanks to a lawsuit from Lambda Legal, but now the state has filed a federal appeal of his ruling.

Assistant Attorney General Charles Grube contends U.S. District Judge John Sedwick was wrong to issue an injunction last year barring the state from altering its benefits package. That ruling requires Arizona to keep funding the coverage until there is a final ruling, which could take years. Grube said that before issuing an injunction, Sedwick was required to consider not only the claims of harm to the people losing benefits, but the harm to the state by being required to maintain them. But Grube said Sedwick was "explicitly dismissive" of evidence presented by the state about the cost burden on taxpayers of continuing to provide coverage.

Only about 800 state employees had signed up for the benefit.

(Tipped by JMG reader Homer)