Texas AG Greg Abbott Bans Same-Sex Benefits In Cities, Counties & School Districts

Attorney General Greg Abbott, in an ironic twist of timing, has struck down the ability of cities, counties and school districts to offer domestic partner benefits.

By almost any measure, today was a landmark day for the GLBT community, with all eyes focused on basketball player Jason Collins, the first and only gay working professional athlete in any major sport. However, that announcement, hailed by many in the NBA community, is being bookended in Texas with Abbott's decision that benefits cannot be created since the state cannot create a legal status identical or similar to marriage.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, requested the decision. In his November letter, Patrick noted that Texas voters went to the polls back in 2005 to specifically define marriage as a state between one man and one woman.

"Unfortunately, the plain language and clear legislative intent is either being ignored by a growing number of local governmental entities or these entities don't believe this Texas Constitutional provision applies to their decisions," Patrick wrote.

More at http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/04/abbott_same_sex_benefits.php

Cross-posted in Texas (Group).