Same-Gender Marriage Developments Force Benefit Plan Sponsors to Reconcile Conflicting Messages - Part 2

Federal and state courts, legislatures, and voters in the United States have recently weighed in on the debate surrounding the legal recognition of same-gender marriage. Unfortunately, those voices give employers a number of mixed messages with respect to how they should treat same-gender couples under their benefit plans. Canada, and most recently Spain, have joined the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in legalizing same-gender marriage, and Connecticut recently enacted a "civil union" law making it the fifth state to offer