July 27, 2015      5:52 PM
Pensions Chairman wants AG to weigh in on whether same-sex benefits were approved too quickly
Critics of Rep. Flynn’s request say “It's been more than a month since the Supreme Court's freedom to marry ruling and some public officials still can't face reality.”
Pensions
Committee Chairman Rep. Dan
Flynn, R-Van, has asked Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office whether state agencies moved too quickly to
approve benefits for same-sex spouses following the United States Supreme Court
ruling on gay marriage. He asked Paxton for an AG opinion on agencies making unilateral
appropriations “if the U.S. or Texas Supreme Court
recognizes a new constitutional right and compliance with that ruling requires
the expenditure of additional state funds.”
Flynn
asked for the opinion on July 24, which is about a month after the Employee
Retirement System announced a special enrollment session for same-sex
spouses. At the time, Texas Values, the most vocal of the
conservative opponents of same-sex benefits, labeled the rather staid ERS
“a rogue Texas government entity.”
Flynn’s
one-page request
on policies and procedures was attached to his earlier request of July 16,
which expressed a broad opposition to same-sex marriage and asked what
repercussions could occur if Texas refused to implement the ruling of the
federal court. Opponents have lodged similar requests
in other states.
By Kimberly Reeves
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