I noticed yesterday's posting about Minneapolis DP benefits and write to
offer clarification and a few gratuitous comments.

Minneapolis's "old" DP plan apparently is still in place.  The "old" plan
allows domestic partners of City employees to pay health insurance premiums
and then file with the City for reimbursement.  I say APPARENTLY as Judge
Hedlund's order is not entirely clear and  was augmented by comments she made
to lawyers in her chambers after the order came out.  How the Minneapolis
City Attorney will interpret the confusion is still unknown.  However, the
Minneapolis City Attorney (the lawyers now charged with defending DP benefits
against attack) has consistently been hostile to the idea of DP benefits, so
we're not confident.

What Judge Hedlund DID do is issue an order temporarily stopping the City
from paying DP benefits directly to the provider.  A permanent order will be
issued after the parties have had a chance to write briefs and argue the
matter at a February 8th hearing.  In light of her order of last week, we are
fighting an uphill battle.

Here's the scary part: the Minneapolis City Attorney's office is doing a
lackluster job defending the issue and the plaintiffs evidently are funded at
the highest level.  A lawyer who has consistently represented right-wing
Christian causes throughout the nation -- Jordan Lorence -- is flying in from
Virginia to represent the plaintiff.  Mr. Lorence has represented the
"Institute in Basic Life Principals" in its fight against human rights in
Colorado, and has been the attorney for "Concerned Women for America Legal
Foundation" in many lawsuits around the nation concerning human rights,
abortion rights, prayer in schools, and home-schooling.  Mr. Lorence is a
calm, clear-thinking, effective attorney -- not the stereotypical raging
bible-thumper of the 70s and 80s.  Unquestionably, the current experience in
Minneapolis is an example of the religious right-wing's newest tactic in its
holy war against us.

Our organization -- Lambda Justice Center -- has helped mount a defense in
the absence of any vigorous representation by the Mpls City Attorney.  We
have located a domestic partner affected by the issue and have obtained free
legal counsel for her.  She is now a party in the case.  Judge Hedlund has
granted Lambda Justice Center the right to file "friend of the court"
documents and argue at the February 8th hearing.  In addition, the judge left
the door open to other organizations to file friend of the court briefs. 
This means, of course, that a large number of gay-hating fundamentalist
organizations will likely file amicus briefs.

We're meeting to plan a strategy this afternoon.  I invite other
organizations with volunteer attorneys to either join us in our brief or
submit your own.  It is important that Judge Hedlund see that a large number
of people are concerned about equal justice and equal pay for equal work. 

Organizations interested in filing amicus briefs or in joining ours should
act quickly as our deadline for filing approaches quickly.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Robert Sykora
Executive Director, Lambda Justice Center
332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1324
St. Paul, MN  55101-1314
VOX: 612-293-1440
EMAIL: RWSYKORA@AOL.COM