Michigan lawmakers have failed to repeal a policy providing domestic-partner benefits to state employees, largely assuring the policy will go into effect, the Lansing State Journal reports.
A proposal to rescind the policy failed to receive the required two-thirds vote in the house of representatives Thursday. Sixty-six members voted in favor of repeal, eight short of the number needed. A repeal measure had passed the senate by the required margin.
The state Civil Service Commission had approved the policy in January, affirming an agreement Jennifer Granholm had negotiated with state employee unions while she was governor. It extends health care benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees as well as any other adult living in an employee’s household, and it applies to both unionized and nonunion workers. The state employs about 35,700 people.
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Change.org is reporting that, for the moment, the Michigan House does not have enough votes to strip away domestic partner benefits for lesbiana nd gay state employees. They need a 2/3rds majority- or the need eleven Democrats to side with them. They report:
