University Of Arizona To Restore Domestic Partner Benefits

Nearly seven months after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer passed a bill eliminating domestic partner benefits for state employees, the University of Arizona has announced it will reinstate benefits for affected workers.

The

Arizona Daily Star

reports:

The new state law, which changes partner benefits by redefining the word "dependent," was signed in September 2009 and will take effect on Oct. 1. The new UA plans will kick in on that day, too. A dependent will then be a "spouse under the laws of this state," which excludes unmarried domestic partners.

The UA wanted to cover both gay and heterosexual relationships, because "in order for us to be competitive, to be able to attract talented people, we need to be able to offer benefits that other employers are offering," said Allison Vaillancourt, UA vice president for human resources.

In September, U of Arizona President Robert Shelton pledged to "come up with a way this university can aid these individuals in buying separate coverage."

The initial legislation would have left 800 employees without benefits.

What do you think? Weigh in below.

Comments

[Tara Ella]

11:47 PM on 07/24/2010

Good on the university for bucking the state's trend on this matter. Why must the state of AZ move in the opposite direction compared to other places around the world? (even places without equal marriage, e.g. the UK conservatives pledged to make any tax concessions for married couples also available for those in gay civil partnerships, the Australian government moved to end all financial discrimination against gay couples, and these things came with almost zero controversy).

[zapata86303]

06:21 PM on 07/24/2010

Even though I am from Arizona and I love this state, the GOP regime that runs it is one of the most backwards thinking in the nation. Only Flagstaff, Tempe, and Tucson approach being reasonable communities. The thuigs that run the state are all bigoted Libertarians. For the last 30 years the economy has been completely unsustainable: growth promotes more growth. Keep bringing in old people. Their version of an economy was a speculator's shell game.

The state is not a complete loss, but I was so dismayed when Napolitano left to go to Washington. I already knew what life was going to be like under Brewer. Thugs like Pearce were held at bay by Napolitano, as was the whole Rethuglican clan at the capitol.

This legislature has been nothing more than musical chairs since the 1980's. Between Babbitt and Napolitano we had jailbirds for governors who acted and talked like members of the John Birch Society. MLK was just a symptom of decades of this new salsa-flavored Jim Crow complex to come.

[keepemhonest]

01:43 PM on 07/24/2010

Has anyone noticed that the Teabaggers support the most H8filled politicians ... yeah, the Teabaggers support those who H8 gays, H8 blacks, H8 brown LEGAL immigrants,

Teabaggers are just H8filled H8mongers ... no wonder they love wars.

[isafakir]

01:33 PM on 07/24/2010

hate is so much fun.

[Hardyman1966]

07:46 PM on 06/08/2010

Excellent!

We already have enough states that sound like this, and sorry, it's no time to go back.

[tymberwolf]

01:21 PM on 06/08/2010

Jan Brewer needs to back the f*ck off people who don't directly affect her in any way. The people of AZ voted NOT to prohibit domestic partnerships. What an imperious jack@$$.

[crosshatchaz]

12:55 PM on 06/08/2010

This state has been so conservative and breeding hatemongers for so long, its like a volcano has erupted. They are just spitting up hatred, division and racism in an unending plume covering the whole state ina cloud of muck

[Lark817]

01:55 PM on 06/08/2010

You know, I think a lot of it goes back to John McCain and the lost election, and the fact that so many seniors move there. It's not just the Gov, how about that sheriff of Maricopa County. Wacko! Arizona in 2010. They need another Wyatt Earp.

[madrediterra]

12:00 PM on 06/08/2010

She's up for reelection. We will know where the majority of Arizonans stand. She was not elected to office and I hope she never is.

[hubbahubba77]

11:46 AM on 06/08/2010

So...I'm guessing Jan Brewer will appeal this reinstatement in the courts. Because she's a liar and a hypocrite.

[juhar]

11:04 AM on 06/08/2010

If the University of Arizona wants to be competitive more to another.

Arizona is trying to compete with ole Mississippi during the pre-Civil Rights Movement era.

I'm sure the wordage makes it almost impossible for most couples to be eligible.

[SaquaroSue]

07:59 PM on 06/08/2010

Exactly wrong. If you actually knew anything about Arizona, you'd know that Tucson, home of the U of A, is Blue and Liberal. Our city, and the county of Pima have filed lawsuits against the "we demand your papers" law in Phoenix. The University Vice President, in an interview on NPR stated that the University sees this as both a competative and moral issue, and felt it was their obligation to restore and continue these benefits to their gay employees.

[juhar]

11:25 PM on 06/08/2010

Sorry, I had so many typos my comments weren't clear.

I was trying to say if U of A wants to be more competitive move to another state. I know, I know it's not right to judge the whole state of Arizona by the actions of 70% of Arizonians but I haven't forgiven Arizonia for refusing to acknowledge MLK's birthday. I will not travel to or through Arizonia until the minority is the majority.

[Tara Ella]

11:51 PM on 07/24/2010

This is very nice to know. Thank you for telling us.

[UtahSlim]

10:58 AM on 06/08/2010

I'm not sure which is more offensive - reading another story of the AZ govenor politicizing hate, of hearing another public servant say they have to increase salaries and benefits to stay competitive.

[SaquaroSue]

08:05 PM on 06/08/2010

The aren't increasing benefits, they are restoring a benefit that was already in place, and unfairly taken away in another Phoenix-based spasm of bigotry.

[Peter007]

10:40 AM on 06/08/2010

The real problem is the granting of Health care benefits to any spouse. Since that spouse is not working, why is the employer giving the spouse any compensation? If the employer is concerned about being competitive in the market in their search for qualified employees, why not just pay the employees enough money so they can buy health insurance for their spouse or anyone else they want to give it too.?
Problem solved .

Wait, I forgot the federal Governments involvement in this fiasco. The Federal Government subsidizes workers income by giving them a tax break on insurance premiums. ( really a subsidy for insurance companies). Again, we see how a special interest group receiving benefits screw it up for everyone else. ( yes, home owners getting tax breaks and employees are special interest groups too).

[ChiKevin]

01:28 AM on 06/09/2010

1.) Benefits are generally not taxable, unlike increasing the employee's salary. This means the university and its employees are less impacted by the federal government?

2.) How does the federal government impact this obvious bigoted repeal by Arizona? The key word is bigoted.

[Tara Ella]

11:54 PM on 07/24/2010

Benefits for spouses is part of a healthy culture of employers caring for employees' families, as part of a healthy family-values based culture. We need to extend this to cover all couples, rather than question its existence, I believe.

[cvandijk1]

10:24 AM on 06/08/2010

Wow. This lady is a piece of work. Good on ya, U of A!

[Tecmage]

09:43 AM on 06/08/2010

So many Conservatives said the immigration law was not about hate, but when you start counting up all the stuff that's been passed in Arizona, we see a different picture.

So let's count it up:
- Eliminating partner benes
- Papers please
- Eliminating multicultural classes
- Removing English teachers with funny accents

Seems to me Arizona is attempting to run everyone away who doesn't fit the profile.

[Rizz]

10:14 AM on 06/08/2010

Good, then all they'll be left with is the people that don't want to pay taxes, and then the state will go belly up. Opening the way for sweeping progressive reform.

[Robocohn53]

10:48 AM on 06/08/2010

The very reason I just sold my home at a loss in Phoenix and moved to California.

[hubbahubba77]

11:48 AM on 06/08/2010

The way I see it if you live in Arizona and have a conscience you have two choices. You can either stay and keep quiet--or allow yourself to become brainwashed along with all the rest of the Brewerites. Or you can leave.

[LaurenJill]

07:53 AM on 06/08/2010

Arizona, Texas, South Carolina, Kansas. Did I forget anyone?

[Flybynite]

10:23 AM on 06/08/2010

Oklahoma?

[hubbahubba77]

11:49 AM on 06/08/2010

Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia....