On December 4, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari to review the City of Houston’s challenge against a state ruling that married same-sex couples were not entitled to spousal benefits under employee insurance plans. Following a suit in response to the City of Houston extending these benefits to same-sex couples in 2013, the Supreme Court of Texas held that while the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled nationally that same-sex couples could marry, the U.S. Supreme Court had not resolved whether governments were then required to extend the same benefits offered to opposite-sex couples. The denial was issued without comment as part of a routine list of court orders for pending cases.
