Alaska denied oil check benefits to gay couples, dependents

By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Court documents show the state of Alaska for years maintained a discriminatory policy that denied some same-sex spouses benefits by wrongly claiming gay marriage was not recognized in Alaska, long after courts ordered they be recognized. The Permanent Fund Dividend Division, which determines eligibility for the yearly oil wealth check paid to nearly all Alaskans, denied a dividend as a matter of policy for the same-sex partners or dependents of military members stationed in other states. One spouse denied a dividend sued, and the state settled the lawsuit Wednesday. In the settlement, the state acknowledged it wrongly denied the benefits and said it wouldn’t do it again.