EFA Legislative Alert, Nov 13, 2006
Dear Eagles and Friends:
Governor Murkowski ordered the legislature to gavel in to a special session in Juneau today to pass legislation that meets the approval of the Alaska Supreme Court and grants benefits to same sex partners of state employees and retirees. I had asked you to call your legislator and if you tried to do so today you may have had a hard time contacting anyone. It seems that God had other plans – snow and weather caused flight delays and cancellations to flights into Juneau today. Many of our legislators are sleeping in Sitka tonight and planning on making the last leg of the journey (Tuesday) tomorrow morning, weather permitting. Please try again tomorrow to contact your legislator if you did not do that today. Our legislators need to be encouraged to stand up to the courts and refuse to participate in ignoring the will of the people. The people of Alaska made it quite clear that marriage is for one man and one woman and giving benefits to same-sex partners undermines the intent of the constitutional amendment.
The contact information is below.
I have just been handed a copy of a letter from the Dept. of Administration to an Alaska state retiree along with a special enrollment packet for same sex partners. These letters and packets were mailed to state employees and retirees who do not have a spouse registered under the health insurance plan. The packet contains regulations that “have been submitted to the Lt. Governor’s Office for filing.” The enrollee may enroll their “same-sex partner” if they “have been in an exclusive, committed, and intimate relationship with each other for the last consecutive 12 months and intend to continue that relationship indefinitely.”
The state has added a link to their official state website for issues related to same sex benefits. There is a lot of information there and you really should check it out. Don’t expect it to be infallible though. The website says that adding same sex partners as dependents will only marginally affect costs to the state.
It is time for Alaskans to stand up and let our voices be heard on this issue. Our legislators need to know we care about this issue.
Working for the family,
Debbie Joslin
President, Eagle Forum Alaska
posted by Don Haase @ 12:45 PM
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