ACLU Sues Montana For Marriage Benefits

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Montana on behalf of seven gay couples who have been denied the benefits of marriage.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana filed its amended complaint after the state Supreme Court rejected its first lawsuit in December for being too broad and not identifying specific laws that are discriminatory.

In the amended lawsuit, attorney James Goetz identifies numerous statutes, including laws he says prevent gay couples from receiving financial protections given to police officers and spouses and from designating their partners as beneficiaries for worker’s compensation.

Other laws Goetz cites exclude gay couples from financial protections for surviving spouses, authority over end-of-life decisions, financial protections due to illness or disability and protections from the dissolution of their relationships. State prosecutors have argued that spousal benefits are limited by definition to married couples.

Source: The Missoulian.  (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)