Hagel: All States Complying With Same-Sex Benefits

[DonViejo]

Source: ABC News/Associated Press

WASHINGTON December 13, 2013 (AP)
By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

The Pentagon says that all states are now complying with new rules allowing the same-sex spouses of military members to get ID cards in order to claim benefits.

Nine states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, initially defied the Pentagon by refusing to allow National Guard facilities to issue the ID cards, triggering sharp criticism from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Officials have worked to bring all the states on board.

Hagel said in an October speech that the states' refusal to comply had created hardship for couples by forcing them to travel long distances to federal military bases to get the ID cards.

Under Pentagon policy that took effect Sept. 3, same-sex military spouses are eligible for the same health care, housing and other benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/hagel-states-complying-sex-benefits-21207885

[stevenleser]

1. K&R nt

[NutmegYankee]

2. About time!

I was wondering if there had to be a few punishment of sedition threats thrown in on the backside.

[PeteSelman]

3. What about the horseshit going on in Oklahoma?

Where they cut off everyone to avoid recognizing equality?

[MADem]

8. See post 7--they are being shitheads, and inconveniencing EVERYONE.

They did not "cut off" benefits, they are refusing to process them at state owned facilities, making EVERYONE travel to get them.

The benefits have not been cut off, access to them at STATE facilities has been.

This is a good thing, actually. Let everyone walk a mile in LGBT shoes--it will likely have the opposite effect they're hoping to get.

[sheshe2]

4. k&r

[Cha]

5. WOW, all states on board! Good on President Obama, Chuck Hagel and all those who

will now recieve these benefits!

Mahalo DonViejo~

[jtuck004]

6. Oklahoma Drops National Guard Benefits For All Couples To Avoid Serving Same-Sex Couples n/t

(There's lots of links on the search engines, if you need it.)

[MADem]

7. This is NOT ACCURATE. The benefits are not dropped, the state processing them is dropped.

They are being shitheads, but differently from TX. TX was only turning the gay people away, the OK state facilities are turning EVERYONE away and making them ALL go to Federal NG bases:

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/fallins-fallacy-fails-fix-fault

Oklahoma will stop processing all military spouse benefit applications at state-owned National Guard facilities rather than begin accepting the applications from same-sex spouses, Gov. Mary Fallin said Wednesday.

Instead, military spouse applications, including those of same-sex couples, will only be accepted at four federally owned National Guard bases: the Air National Guard bases in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the Regional Training Institute in Oklahoma City and Camp Gruber.

[jtuck004]

9. Yeah, that's what Fallin is saying too...

"Gov. Fallin has tried to distance herself from this story, using social media to say, “To set the record straight – no National Guardsman in Oklahoma is being denied marriage benefits. Stories that suggest otherwise are false.” This is technically true, but those benefits can now only be obtained at federal facilities in Oklahoma, which could require couples to drive extended distances even when there are are state facilities closer by."

Doing what they can to impede it.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/11/19/2970531/oklahoma-national-guard/

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) announced earlier this month that state-owned National Guard facilities will no longer allow any married couples to apply for spousal benefits, regardless of whether they are same-sex or opposite-sex. The Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act means that servicemembers with same-sex spouses are now eligible for federal benefits. Fallin’s unusual tactic is designed to avoid having to recognize those couples, which she asserts would violate Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman:

FALLIN: Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples. The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people.

This decision directly contradicts an order from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordering states to provide same-sex couples with the federal benefits they deserve under the law. All married couples will now have to travel to one of the five federal facilities in Oklahoma to apply for benefits. Incidentally, the state’s facilities were built almost entirely with federal funds and 90 percent of the Oklahoma Military Department — which includes the National Guard — is funded by the federal government.
...

[MADem]

11. To put it succinctly, the government of OK are assholes. The Feds aren't.

The people get their bennies, but no thanks to the state haters.

[jtuck004]

14. In a state where 74% of the kids are in early-education, highest in the nation. What a contrast.

In any event, the state is not complying, but the soldiers are getting their benefits from the feds anyway. And Fallin is a waste of perfectly good human.

[truebluegreen]

10. Good!

but I'm interested to know just what the Pentagon did to get everyone in line.

[Zorro]

12. The military does not look favorably on insubordination

[truebluegreen]

13. Thank you. I never realized that.

Now, what about the states?