Federal judge has struck down Michigan law barring employers from offering SS partners benefits

[bigtree]

______________________

tweeted by, Jodi Jacobson ?@jljacobson 21m
RT @breakingpol: Michigan ban on domestic partner benefits for public employees struck down by federal judge - @MLive http://bit.ly/18kKZ1N


____ The decision from U.S. District Judge David S. Lawson prevents Gov. Rick Snyder and state officials from enforcing the 2011 law prohibiting cities, counties and other public employers from offering benefits to same-sex domestic partners.

A group of five same-sex couples had filed suit against Snyder and the state alleging the law violated the U.S. Constitution by violating due process and equal protection rights. Attorneys for the state had argued the couples lacked standing to bring the suit and had not suffered an identifiable injury as a result of the law.


http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/michigan_ban_on_domestic_partn.html


Doak Bloss and Gerardo Ascheri of East Lansing, one of the couples named in the lawsuit

[bigtree]

1. .

[MineralMan]

2. Lawsuits like this one will be key in expanding

marriage equality rights, I think. Since they invoke the equal protection clause, they will be hard to rule against. The Constitution is clear. Equal protection is demanded by the Constitution. Arguing that it is not is very difficult.

[bigtree]

3. along with the extension of benefits to ss partners and spouses

there will come attempts to block access to those benefits - and new 'standing' to challenge such denials of rights and benefits from individuals. that should solidify the gist of these rulings overturning the perverse DOMA law; that there isn't anything else standing in the way of declaring all such denials as outright discrimination.

[MineralMan]

4. That's true. Establishing standing can be difficult

in such cases, and so much depends on that to the Federal courts. Test cases are needed to make things happen.

[Cha]

5. Hallelujah!

Mahalo bigtree~