Godfrey v. Spano

OPINION OF THE COURT

Pigott, J.

Plaintiff taxpayers challenge two directives by executive and county officials that recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages for purposes of public employee health insurance coverage and other benefits. We conclude that plaintiffs’ actions were properly dismissed.

I

Four states—Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont—now issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, without any residency requirement, as does Canada.1 As a consequence, many same-sex couples who are residents of New York State have traveled to those jurisdictions and married. In light of *368these…