Rhode Island to recognize some Massachusetts same-sex marriages News
Rhode Island to recognize some Massachusetts same-sex marriages

[JURIST] Rhode Island [official website] will recognize same-sex marriages [JURIST news archive] of state employees performed in Massachusetts, according to Attorney General Patrick Lynch [official profile] in a letter [text, PDF] sent to the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education [official website]. The letter said same-sex employee partners married in Massachusetts would be granted the same benefits as heterosexual married couples; it was sent in response to a letter earlier this month from the Commissioner to the Office of the Attorney General asking for an official opinion on whether Rhode Island should recognize state employees' same-sex marriages.

Responding to Tuesday's letter, Michele Granda, an attorney for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders [advocacy website], said in a press release [text]: “It’s terrific news for state employees . . . It’s our hope that other Rhode Island employers will follow suit." Last week, New Jersey Attorney General Stuart Rabner [official profile] also announced [JURIST report] that New Jersey would similarly recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. AP has more.

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