New York's Department of Civil Service broadened the term "spouse" earlier this month to allow gay state employees who were "married" in Massachusetts or in another country to receive health- and life-insurance benefits.
Stephen Hayford, a spokesman for the Coalition to Save Marriage in New York, said it's part of an agenda coming down from the top.
"Governor Eliot Spitzer unfortunately is very much on board with that cause," he told Family News in Focus. "Anytime one branch of government assumes too much power, it's bad for everybody. And this is an example of the executive who has an agenda on this issue, pushing his agenda and implementing regulations and new regulations without regard for our state laws."
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed a suit challenging the state's position.
"We're asking the court to issue an order finding that the acts of the Department of Civil Service are illegal under New York law, and to void them," said Brian Raum, an ADF attorney. "It's simply an attempt by special interests and political partisans to change the fundamental definition of marriage."
