PHOENIX—Arizona state officials have received a flood of public comments on a proposal by Gov. Janet Napolitano’s administration to provide domestic partner benefits to state government employees and retirees.

Department of Administration officials were processing hundreds of e-mails and letters received right before the close of the comment period Dec. 31 and it appeared that a total of more than 1,000 had been received, spokesman Alan Ecker said last week.

A tally made last month on about half of the comments indicated that more were in favor of the changes than against but no updated breakdown was immediately available, he said.

The domestic partners benefits proposal, which would change state employment rules, awaits consideration by a state commission.

Napolitano’s administration director, William Bell, has said his proposal would help state government recruit and retain good workers. Napolitano and other supporters have called the proposed changes a matter of fairness for the workers involved.

Because of the need to process the many comments, it likely will be March at the earliest before the proposal is considered by the council, Ecker said.