Federal Judge Grants Injunction to Halt Expansion of Medical Leave Benefits to Some Same-Sex Couples
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AndreyPopov/iStock/Thinkstock(AUSTIN, Texas) — A federal judge in Texas granted an injunction on Thursday that will stop the expansion of medical leave benefits to some same-sex couples.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that “the Obama Adminstration’s attempt to force employers to recognize same-sex marriages would have put state agencies in the position of either violating Texas law or federal regulations.” Paxton’s office filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Labor over the Family and Medical Leave Act’s revised definition of “spouse” on March 18.
The FMLA would include same-sex spouses if the marriage occurred in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage and allow those spouses to receive family and medical leave benefits even in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage. The rule was slated to take effect on Friday.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office was joined in its lawsuit by the offices of the attorneys general of Arkansas, Louisiana and Nebraska.
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