Wisconsin to Approve Marriage Ban for Gays
MADISON, Wis. - The state Senate voted Wednesday to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to ban gay marriage and Vermont-style civil unions, leaving only a vote in the Assembly before the proposal could go to the public for a final vote.
The Senate voted 19-14 to approve the amendment. Lawmakers expect it to easily pass the Assembly and appear on a statewide ballot in November.
Lawmakers rejected a series of attempts by Democrats to alter the amendment, including a push to strip the portion pertaining to civil unions. It would prohibit legal recognition of any relationship between unmarried people that is “identical or substantially similar” to marriage.
Democrats argued that could impact legal recognition already on the books for gay couples, including domestic partner registries in Madison and Milwaukee, as well as health benefits provided by some school districts. Amendment supporters pointed to a memo from one of the Legislature’s attorneys that opined that was unlikely. (source)
I was a bit surprised by this one. I always viewed Wisconsin as being a more liberal state. I was always told that it was very accepting of gay people. I guess that’s not the case.
I can understand how some rural people would get upset at the prospect of a gay couple wanting to commit to marriage, but what seems very nasty to me is to specifically state that anything other than marriage (that we will not be allowed to have) will be illegal. That will strip away any benefits that domestic partners now have in some places such as Madison or Milwaukee because those laws will not be in conflict with the state constitution.
The amendment will read: “Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.”
It will most likely go to the voters and they will most likely pass it. Boy, I’m glad that I live in Connecticut. Kent and I have decided not to get a civil union, but I’m glad that we live in a state that at least gives us that option. And I can see Connecticut going for full marriage for gay couples within a few years.
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I lived in Wisconsin for 10 years, and it's one of those states where the large cities (i.e., Milwaukee, Madison) vote for Democrats, and the rural areas vote for Republicans. What's happening is that Milwaukee has lost much of its manufacturing/union base, and hasn't grown at the rate that the rural areas have. It's unfortunate, but I see it happening throughout the entire Midwest.