Montana asks judge to dismiss gay rights lawsuit

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana's attorney general has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by seven gay couples seeking the same rights as married couples in making decisions about their families' health care and finances.

Spousal benefits are limited by definition to married couples, and the Montana Constitution defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, Attorney General Steve Bullock said.

The court does not have the jurisdiction to require the state to extend spousal benefits beyond that definition, Bullock said in a motion to dismiss the case.

"Courts may not exercise the pow...