HELENA, Mont. -  A civil-rights organization has filed a new
lawsuit against the state in an attempt to win for gay couples
the same benefits that married couples have. The American Civil
Liberties Union of Montana filed its amended complaint on behalf
of seven gay couples Monday. The Montana Supreme Court rejected
its first lawsuit in December, saying it was too broad and
didn't identify specific laws that are discriminatory. In the
amended lawsuit, attorney James Goetz identifies numerous
statutes. The plaintiffs say those laws prevent them from
receiving financial protections given to police officers and
spouses and from designating their partners as a beneficiaries
for worker's compensation. Other laws exclude gay couples from
financial protections for surviving spouses, authority over end-
of-life decisions and financial protections due to illness or
disability.