From Think Progress
When Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) assumed power in 2009, she quickly advanced a law that would have stripped same-sex couples of their state domestic partner benefits. Lambda Legal fought back in a case now known as Diaz v. Brewer and won in both federal district court and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the law discriminated against same-sex couples who could not otherwise obtain the benefits through marriage.
Now, Brewer is asking the Supreme Court to step in and reverse the Ninth Circuit’s decision. Tara Borelli of Lambda Legal is confident that the injunction against the law taking effect will stand:
BORELLI: We are confident that the lower courts’ decisions upholding domestic partner coverage for lesbian and gay employees will continue to carry the day. Arizona’s arguments have been turned down again and again by the federal courts, and we expect it will be no different here.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
The Ninth Court’s decision according to SF Gate was as follows:
The 3-0 ruling upheld a federal judge's injunction against a law that was signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in 2009 and was scheduled to take effect [in 2011]. Brewer's predecessor, Janet Napolitano, had authorized health benefits for state employees' domestic partners in April 2008 before leaving to become President Obama's Homeland Security secretary.
http://www.sfgate.com/...
Furthermore,
In the initial complaint, the nine plaintiffs -- all state employees in same-sex domestic partnerships -- stated that if enacted, the loss of health coverage for their partners would cause "serious financial and emotional harm." The Ninth Circuit affirmed this complaint, acknowledging that there was a high likelihood of "irreparable harm" if the law were to go into effect.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Let's hope that the ninth district court decision still stands.