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State Could Save $Millions By Legalizing Gay Relationships 365Gay.com (Los Angeles, California) Two national think tanks say that recognizing gay and lesbian relationships would save the state of California millions of tax dollars. The study was produced jointly by the Williams Project of UCLA School of Law and IGLSS, the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies. It estimates that a bill before the state legislature that would give same-sex couples almost all of the same rights and obligations as spouses in civil marriage would save the state between $8.1 to $10 million a year. The bill, AB 205 is scheduled for a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 28. The joint report said the savings would come primarily from decreasing the number of individuals eligible for means-tested state benefit programs because the income of a person's domestic partner to be included when determining eligibility for state benefit programs. "Even if only a small percentage of individuals living with partners register and become ineligible for public benefits," says economist and study co-author, Dr. M.V. Lee Badgett, " California is likely to reduce its expenditures on these programs by more than $11.5 million each year." The study, entitled Equal Rights, Fiscal Responsibility , finds that AB 205 would also potentially increase sales tax revenues from tourism and decrease state income tax revenues, but will have only a minor effect on administrative costs, state employee benefits, and the state court system. "Our analysis makes it clear that providing California families with equal rights is fiscally responsible," says the study's co-author, Brad Sears, Director of the Williams Project. "Making domestic partners accountable to each other not only strengthens families, it has a positive impact on the State budget." The study reaches similar results as studies done about same-sex civil union legislation for Vermont and Connecticut. As of May 2003, approximately 20,000 couples have registered as domestic partners with the Secretary of the State of California.
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