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(Juneau, Alaska) A plebiscite pushed through by Republican lawmakers in Alaska that would ask voters their opinion on amending the Alaska constitution to prevent the same-sex domestic partners of state workers from receiving health benefits will cost four times the estimated cost of the benefits it was learned this week.
In 2005 the state Supreme Court ruled the state must establish benefits to same-sex partners of its employees in response to an action filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and nine Alaska couples. The high court ruled that because the state constitution has been amended to bar same-sex marriage, denying gay and lesbian couples insurance rights extended to married couples deprives them of equal protection guaranteed under the Alaska Constitution. For the next year the legislature delayed implementing the court ruling. In December the court chastised lawmakers for and said the benefits must be available on the January 1 deadline it originally set. In one of his last acts as governor Frank Murkowski in November called the legislature into special session to approve a benefits package worked out by the Department of Administration to comply with the court order declaring the lack of health and pension benefits violated the Alaska constitution. But rather than approving the plan the House and Senate passed legislation prohibiting the Alaska Commissioner of Administration for implementing the court ruling. Both houses then voted to endorse a move putting the issue to a statewide plebiscite, asking voters if a constitutional amendment barring gay benefits should go on the 2008 ballot. Shortly before the January 1 deadline the new governor, Sarah Palin, vetoed the bill that would have blocked the state from giving the benefits and the plan kicked in at the first of the year. But Palin has endorsed the referendum. But the vote would be nonbinding, and even if voters said they thought there should be a constitutional amendment banning the benefits, the measure would then have to be approved by the legislature and then go to the people. An attempt this week by minority Democrats to put off the vote failed and Republicans have set an April 3 date for a special election just for the nonbinding referendum. Currently 55 state workers have been registered for the domestic partner benefits plan and another applications from another 22 are pending. The cost of seeking the electorate's opinion: $1.2 million. The cost of providing the benefits to 77 workers' partners: an estimated $313,562 a year. Source: 365gay.com |
