PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona is close to joining more than a dozen states that offer health and other benefits to domestic partners of state employees, gay or straight.

The change would apply to the 65,000 active Arizona employees of state government and public universities.

About 9,000 retirees who participate in the state health plan would also be eligible.

The change would allow state employees with domestic partners to claim the same benefits as married couples, including coverage under the state health plan.

Supporters say it's a step toward fairness and would help the state and its public universities better compete for employees in a marketplace where domestic-partner benefits are becoming more common.

Gov. Janet Napolitano was not available for comment Monday, but her representatives said she is backing the plan.

"It's something that most the other private corporations and large cities are doing and it's time state government started doing it, as well," said Tim Nelson, general counsel to the governor. "It's something the governor believes strongly is the right thing to do," Nelson said.

Opponents say it's a move to erode traditional values while putting a sort of state endorsement on the validity of gay and other unmarried relationships.

"It's inappropriate. I will support no such thing," said Rep. Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "This is absolutely outrageous."

Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor calls the plan for domestic partners a "slippery slope" toward government acceptance of variations on traditional marriage.

"I think it's going to be met with a lot of resistance," the Gilbert Republican said.

The executive director of the gay and lesbian rights group Equality Arizona, Barbara McCullough-Jones said in a statement that by offering domestic partner benefits, the state will be in line with the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson in currently offering domestic partner benefits to their employees.

"Equality Arizona is proud to be working in coalition with legislators, business leaders and community members who have been fighting to obtain equal benefits as state employees for more than 20 years," McCullough-Jones said.

"Throughout Arizona people work every day in state jobs that improve the lives of our residents, ensure public safety, protect the state's interests in water and land, and many other functions. They work to create the "One Arizona" envisioned by Gov. Napolitano.

"However, some of these people work under conditions that are not equitable from one employee to the next. Specifically, unmarried lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual workers are not afforded the same access to benefits as some of their colleagues," she said.

State Department of Administration director Bill Bell filed the domestic partner benefits proposal Nov. 7 with the Secretary of State's Office. After a few weeks to process the measure, it was published Friday along with the secretary of state's regular registry of proposed rules.

The public will likely have less than 30 days to comment on the proposal, after which a hearing will likely be scheduled. The Gov.'s Regulatory Review Council, made up of a six-member board appointed by the governor, will have final say on the domestic partners plan.

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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com

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