Appeals court judge who wrote historic gay rights opinion earns seat on Oregon Supreme Court

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court judge who wrote a historic opinion extending gay and lesbian rights, has won a seat on the Oregon State Supreme Court.

Jack Landau, an Oregon Court of Appeals judge, on Tuesday defeated Allan J. Arlow, an administrative law judge with the Oregon Public Utilities Commission.

Landau had 71 percent of the votes, with 56 percent of the expected vote counted.

As an appeals court judge, Landau wrote the opinion in Tanner v. OHSU, which ruled that employers cannot discriminate against gay and lesbian couples when providing health care benefits.

The Supreme Court seat opened with the retirement of Justice W. Michael Gillette.