For some reason, Texas' Attorney General Greg Abbott decided to issue an opinion to that state's local governments and school districts, telling them that
any domestic partnership benefits offered to employees in same-sex relationships are unconstitutional:
The Texas Constitution bans the city of Austin, Travis County and area school districts from offering domestic partner benefits to employees in same-sex relationships, according to a legal opinion released Monday by Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Domestic partnerships, as recognized by the local governments, are close enough to the definition of marriage to violate a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions that 76 percent of Texas voters approved in 2005, the opinion stated.
“By creating domestic partnerships and offering health benefits based on them, the political subdivisions have created and recognized something not established by Texas law,” the opinion said.
A January 2013 Public Policy Polling poll found that
61% of Texas voters support legal recognition of same-sex couples.
