Austin ISD Backs Down on Domestic Partnership Benefits

Austin ISD has announced, for now, that it will not move forward with a plan to create and recognize domestic partnerships , including same-sex domestic partnerships, to provide health benefits. The reversal was a direct response to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott releasing an opinion that advised that districts that recognize or create a legal status similar to marriage would be in violation of our state constitution and to legislation filed by Rep. Drew Springer that sought to cut some funding to school districts for violating the constitution.

We are pleased that Austin ISD has at least shown some respect for our state constitution and Attorney General Greg Abbott’s opinion on this issue.  As the Attorney General has ruled, and as we have argued for months, the creation and recognition of domestic partnerships is a clear violation of our state constitution that was approved by over 76% of voters. Marriage is our most basic and important social institution and is the best way to ensure children have the opportunity to be raised by their mother and father. Counterfeiting something always reduces the value of the original, and the continued push to counterfeit marriage will continue to devalue marriage in our culture, ultimately hurting families and children.

It would be prudent for other school districts and local governments, like Pflugerville ISD, to follow suit and begin to recognize the need to follow the rule of law and our state constitution. How can our students expect to be taught the importance of the rule of law if their leaders send the message that we can just violate laws because we happen to disagree with them?