By Daniel Hicks

LAKELAND, Fla. — Grocery store chain Publix plans to offer legally married gay and lesbian employees health insurance coverage for their spouses starting Jan. 1.

“Publix is expanding spouse coverage for its health, dental and vision benefits plans to associates who are married in any state where same-sex marriages are legal, regardless of the associates’ state of residence,” wrote spokesman Brian West in an email. “Publix’s benefits plans offer coverage to legal spouses, and until recently, the states in which Publix operates did not recognize same-sex marriages as legal unions. We hope this change makes spouse coverage decisions simpler for our associates.”

Lakeland-based Publix has approximately 168,000 employees nationwide and operates stores in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, where same-sex marriage is currently banned. It has 760 stores in Florida.

By court order, Florida’s ban on gay marriage is set to end on Jan. 6.

The decision from the employee-owned company comes as Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi continues to uphold Florida’s ban, despite a federal judge’s ruling striking down the 2008 state constitutional amendment.

Major Florida employers such as Disney and Darden already offer benefits to same-sex couples.

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