NC: Asheville to Consider Health Benefits for Partners of Gay/Lesbian Employees Tonight

A potentially polarizing vote is expected tonight on whether the City Council should extend benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. Councilman Gordon Smith is asking the council to move forward with the idea of giving same-sex domestic partners health insurance, bereavement leave and other benefits.

If a majority votes yes, city staff would come back to the council at a later date with information including estimated costs and who would qualify. A final vote on the measure could then follow. Granting the benefits would “provide equal rights to our employees who are denied the option to marry,” Smith said.

A majority of the seven-member council – whose makeup became more liberal after November's election – have already said they support the idea and would likely vote for the ultimate extension of benefits.

Full Story from the Citizen-Times
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SC: Conservative AG Kills Same Sex Partner Health Benefits Plan

On the advice of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a proposed state regulatory change to allow government employees to add same-sex partners to their state health benefits has been withdrawn from consideration. The suggested policy change from Democratic former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine became public in December in the waning days of his term, eliciting support from gay groups and condemnation from social conservatives.

If adopted, it would have permitted insured state workers to include "other qualified adults" living in their households - such as domestic partners, adult children and other relatives - to the state's health coverage system.

Kaine administration officials claimed that wouldn't increase state expenses because employees adding a person would pick up all the extra costs. But a state fiscal analysis dated Jan. 12 indicates that "insufficient data" and certain unknown variables make cost calculations problematic.

Full Story from the Pilot Online
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AZ: Lambda Legal Sues Arizona Over Stripping of Health Benefits from Gay/Lesbian Couples

A gay-rights group has filed suit seeking damages for state employees whose families will lose their health-care coverage following the elimination of domestic-partner benefits. House Bill 2013, signed into law this year by Gov. Jan Brewer, eliminates health benefits for domestic partners effective next year. The move will strip benefits from about 800 people, saving the state an estimated $3.3 million when it takes effect next October. Lambda Legal, an advocacy group based in New York, filed a federal lawsuit in Phoenix on Tuesday on behalf of 10 state employees protesting the elimination of their benefits. The employees work for the Arizona Highway Patrol, the State Depart- ment of Game and Fish and state universities. Full Story from the Arizona Republic: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/11/18/20091118partnerbenefits1118.html

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