Arizona asks court to ax domestic partner benefits PHOENIX - State officials are aski

[æonpax]

PHOENIX - State officials are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow them to cancel insurance benefits for the domestic partners of state and university workers who are gay.

In legal papers filed in Washington, Attorney General Tom Horne said lawmakers should be allowed to deny such benefits because it "furthers the state's interest in promoting marriage." The petition also says the move eliminates the expenses and administrative burdens in providing health-care benefits to the partners.

Anyway, Horne said, there is no evidence the state intended to discriminate against gays. He said the law treats all unmarried employees the same way, regardless of sexual orientation.

But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against the state last year, did not see it that way.

In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge panel agreed the state is not obligated to provide health insurance for its workers or their families.

"But when a state chooses to provide such benefits, it may not do so in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner that adversely affects particular groups that may be unpopular," Judge Mary Schroeder wrote for the court. She noted there is no other way for gay state and university workers to get those benefits, especially as Arizona voters approved a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex nuptials. - http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/az-asks-court-to-ax-partner-benefits/article_50c60866-e44a-5f39-9a70-48dd525e88f0.html
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Poor Jan Brewster. Not content to get slapped down by the Supreme Court concerning Arizona's xenophobic immigration law, ( http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0625/Most-of-Arizona-immigration-law-cannot-stand-Supreme-Court-rules ) she redirects her fanatical wrath at gays, particularly where it will hurt the most...health insurance, by challenging the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the same law, was unconstitutional.

A waste of time and money.

[12voltman59]

I do find it sad that places like Arizona---that are pretty interesting and gorgeous with neat places like Sedona, the Grand Canyon, the Sonoran Desert has such a piss poor excuse for political leadership---the same goes for the set of states that are among my "home states"--namely Florida with Gov. Rick Scott and Congressman Allen West; Georgia with its legislature and Congressman Jack Kingston who represents the district the includes Savannah; South Carolina with it's new governor, Nikki Haley. They kind of want to make places that have much going for them in their own ways, less than pleasant places to live--and surely not places of which one can be proud of--in fact---they make those states places that are big embarrassments.

[void()]

In legal papers filed in Washington, Attorney General Tom Horne said lawmakers should be allowed to deny such benefits because it "furthers the state's interest in promoting marriage."

Deconstructionist here, how does hamstringing financial benefits afforded couples promote marriage for the state? On the same line, how does barring ready to marry gay couples further promote that interest for the state? Seems the state is balking against marriage, although perceptions are likely to vary.

Perhaps, this is a case of state using a promotion through negation technique. Those craft little bureaucrats! One can never be too sure of what they will contrive next, may have more Salem trails yet.

I'll bring marshmallows and blue fishnets if someone can remember the water based lubricants. B.O.H.I.C.A, B.O.H.I.C.A ... *sigh*

[DuckiesDarling]

Before long the only people who get to live in Arizona will be white yuppies who retired to play golf and wanted to be other than Floridian. :( Void, you make an excellent point about another Salem witch trial. But I have to ask how many generations is it before someone is just American? Before race doesn't factor in and sexuality isn't anyone's public statement of difference. How long before we have people posting travel advisories about different states in the US instead of different "backwards" countries around the world where people are dying daily for just being who they are. Yeah, some people are fed up with things but targeting a group for being different is never the answer. But hell it worked very well for one person... anyone remember Hitler?

[elian]

A society has both discreet and overt ways it crafts legislation to promote certain behaviors.. Giving people a financial incentive to pair up and produce offspring ensures that the state will continue to have a population base to derive income from and take care of all of that property..could you imagine if everybody just up and left their houses? - the state would have quite a mess to clean up.

Of course it's a catch 22 - at some point someone must've thought that policy would be good for actual people to get a break, businesses get an incentive to attract workers.

I mean the initial effect of housing policy, and financial policy for mortgages in this country was to segregate people?

Dick, Jane 2.5 kids and half a dog..evverybody's happy.

I'm not cynical at all, no.

Also, like every other business the state is probably looking for ways to save money on labor costs..

[æonpax]

A society has both discreet and overt ways it crafts legislation to promote certain behaviors.. Giving people a financial incentive to pair up and produce offspring ensures that the state will continue to have a population base to derive income from and take care of all of that property..could you imagine if everybody just up and left their houses? - the state would have quite a mess to clean up.
Of course it's a catch 22 - at some point someone must've thought that policy would be good for actual people to get a break, businesses get an incentive to attract workers.
I mean the initial effect of housing policy, and financial policy for mortgages in this country was to segregate people?
Dick, Jane 2.5 kids and half a dog..evverybody's happy.
I'm not cynical at all, no.
Also, like every other business the state is probably looking for ways to save money on labor costs..
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This is a direct attack on the LGBT/homosexual community, being orchestrated by the white, religious right. This idea of promoting "traditional marriage" reeks of their perfidious involvement.

It's not the number here. How many same sex, domestic partners are there in Arizona who are getting this health care benefit?. Perhaps maybe 0.00002% of the states population? This is all about sending a message to the rest of the nation; Arizona has no use for homosexuals.

[void()]

`

This is a direct attack on the LGBT/homosexual community, being orchestrated by the white, religious right. This idea of promoting "traditional marriage" reeks of their perfidious involvement.

It's not the number here. How many same sex, domestic partners are there in Arizona who are getting this health care benefit?. Perhaps maybe 0.00002% of the states population? This is all about sending a message to the rest of the nation; Arizona has no use for homosexuals.

As a bisexual man, let me borrow a bit here for the sake of irony, levity. It's possible many are sharing the same thought, opinion. I'll voice it.

"Arizona has no use for homosexuals. Fine, people have no use for Arizona."

Further still think Brad Pitt's character in 12 Moneys sums up it best, "Fuck the Bozos!"