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Ariz. Slashes Partner Benefits for 800 Workers


JAN BREWER X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Arizona governor Jan Brewer recently signed a bill into law that will rescind health benefits to domestic partners of approximately 800 state employees. The policy redefines who a dependent can be, which now excludes domestic partners, children of domestic partners, disabled adult dependents, and children of state workers older than 23 years old who are full-time students.

"At least they're equal-opportunity haters," state representative Kirsten Sinema told Advocate.com on Friday. "It's not just gay people, it's straight people, and disabled people, and unmarried couples."

Out of the 800 involved, Sinema said that same-sex couples do not make up the majority of those affected.

The state pays $3 million to cover domestic partners, in comparison to $625 million to cover other employees and their dependents.

"This was not done to save the state money," Sinema said. "It was done because the current legislature believes that this group of individuals should not have health care provided by the state."

When asked why the governor would sanction such a policy change during difficult economic times, a spokesperson for her office said the line wasn't in her original proposal to the legislature.

"[The] governor's budget proposal was not supported by some Democratic and some Republican legislators," the statement said. "This was in fact a legislative budget proposal, and it was ultimately contained within a piece of budget legislation sent to the governor that had numerous spending items that were critical to state operations."

As recently as September 17, Brewer, who replaced now-secretary of Homeland Defense Janet Napolitano, has been quoted as telling a group of pastors at a Lutheran church that she believed "God has placed" her in "this powerful position" to lead her state. She is also known to suggest that staffers pray on an issue to find solutions, according to the Arizona Star.

The legislation is in legal review to determine when the benefits will change. Sinema said the bill legally cannot go into effect until November 24 -- 90 days after Brewer signed it.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Gary Grainger
    Date posted: 9/23/2009 3:38:12 PM
    Hometown: Phoenix AZ

    Comment:

    I would encourage the LGBT Community and its allies to boycot Arizona. We rely heavily on tourims here, so a tourism boycot would be a great first step in helping those of affected by this hateful move.

  • Name: Scott
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 12:28:32 PM
    Hometown: Jacksonville

    Comment:

    Not surprised. Second Class citizens are just that Second Class. Why should they care?

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 12:20:40 PM
    Hometown: Seattle

    Comment:

    Very stupid move.

  • Name: wafuu
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 8:32:36 AM
    Hometown: japan

    Comment:

    Man, that's some amazingly negative national publicity you got there for your three million.

  • Name: PS
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 6:30:56 AM
    Hometown: Dallas

    Comment:

    She couldn't get the lead role in the all-girl version of "Mask" so she took the governor job.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 6:22:48 AM
    Hometown: Tesuque, NM

    Comment:

    "She is also known to suggest that staffers pray on an issue to find solutions, according to the Arizona Star." Ever heard of separation of church and state gov? I currently live overseas and my friends here are aghast at how backward the US is in matter such as these.

  • Name: Kris
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 3:22:28 AM
    Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

    Comment:

    I thought that there was someone who stated "that marriage equality would be in the entire United States by 2012". Well as leatherface is a leader in her state, it looks like we're going backwards. Who stated marriage equality would be reached by 2012? Does anyone know who said that?

  • Name: howard roark
    Date posted: 9/22/2009 2:14:50 AM
    Hometown: nashville

    Comment:

    wow, that was serioiusly cunty of her.

  • Name: Larry
    Date posted: 9/21/2009 11:14:50 PM
    Hometown: Tucson

    Comment:

    She is EVIL but, in all fairness, this was the bill that the state legislature(highly Republican'ts)FINALLY sent her. She had no problem eliminating the DP benefits even though it only saved 0.48% of the total state workers insurance total. It was totally the Rethuglicans preventing the Domestic Partners of this sad state from getting the benefits that 'Married Heterosexuals" are allowed.

  • Name: Gina Nine
    Date posted: 9/21/2009 9:46:24 PM
    Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

    Comment:

    $625 million being wasted on people who aren't sick? I say slash all heatlh care for state employees and send the tax savings back to the tax payer! Let the lazy goverment worker pay for his own health care, why should I?



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