Michigan
senate to consider asking court to block
domestic-partner benefits

The Michigan senate is expected to take up two measures this week that would ask the Michigan supreme court to issue an order preventing state and local governments from providing benefits to the same-sex partners of their workers. The resolutions were introduced after an Ingham County judge ruled that public universities and governments can provide health insurance to the partners of gay employees without violating the Michigan constitution. Ingham County circuit judge Joyce Draganchuk said the purpose of a 2004 constitutional amendment was to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions--not to keep public employers from offering benefits to the partners of gay employees.

The resolutions, introduced by Republican senator Alan Cropsey of DeWitt, would ask the state's highest court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the use of taxpayer money to fund benefits for same-sex unions until the court has ruled on its constitutionality. A measure passed by Michigan voters last November made the union between a man and a woman the only agreement recognized as a marriage "or similar union for any purpose." Those six words led to a fight over benefits for gay couples. Atty. Gen. Mike Cox issued a legal opinion in March saying the measure prohibited the city of Kalamazoo from providing domestic-partner benefits in future contracts. But 21 gay couples who work for the city of Kalamazoo, several universities, and the state filed a lawsuit challenging Cox's interpretation. Cox, a Republican, said he would appeal the judge's decision because "the people of Michigan spoke very clearly on the amendment," spokeswoman Alison Pierce said. (AP)