State of Arizona wastes another $350,000 of your money
That great sucking sound you hear this morning? Yet another $350,000 of precious state money, down the drain courtesy of the Arizona Legislature, which seems obsessed with trying to dictate to people how they must live.
This time, by denying the unmarried state employees the same health-care benefits that married employees enjoy.
In 2008, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed an executive order, decreeing that henceforth all state employees would be treated equally when it came to benefits. Domestic partners of state employees would get the same coverage as married partners of state employees.
Naturally, the Republican-controlled Legislature was aghast and reversed Napolitano's policy as soon as she left office in 2009. Gov. Jan Brewer, in signing the 2009 law, said it wasn't about discrimination or trying to tell people how to live. It was, she said, about saving the state money.
"I believe that was one area where we could cut costs, just like we had to do in behavioral health or education," Brewer said at the time.
Cue inevitable lawsuit by gay couples who claimed discrimination. They pointed out that while straight couples could marry, state law denied them the right to marry and thus, any chance at the same benefits given other employees.
Cue the inevitable losses for the state, at every level. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case, letting stand lower rulings that deemed the law discriminatory.
On Friday U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick ordered the state to pony up $307,000 in legal fees and other costs. This, on top of the $55,000 the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier ordered our leaders (read: us) to pay.