Wisconsin residents to vote on marriage equality for gays

Wisconsin voters will decide this fall whether to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. The proposal cleared its final hurdle in the Republican-controlled legislature in Madison on Tuesday evening, allowing the measure to appear on the state ballot in November. That's also when voters will determine whether Democratic governor Jim Doyle will get a second term in office. Democrats are calling the bill an attempt to draw more conservatives to the polls in hopes of defeating Doyle.

The governor vetoed a previous attempt to change state law to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman and has denounced the proposed constitutional amendment, which would bypass his desk.

The two Republicans seeking their party's nomination for governor, U.S. representative Mark Green and Milwaukee County executive Scott Walker, support the ban.

"This is a cynical right-wing attempt to motivate the base for the fall elections," said Rep. Marlin Schneider, a Democrat. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat and the only openly gay member of the assembly, called the amendment "state-sponsored discrimination."

A majority vote would add 43 words to the constitution to declare that the state recognizes only marriage between one man and one woman and does not grant a similar legal status to unmarried individuals, such as civil unions. "An issue of this importance will be decided by the people of this state, not an activist judge," assembly speaker John Gard, a Republican, said.

Supporters said the amendment would defend marriage from legal challenges seeking to grant gay couples the right to marry, such as one that was successful in Massachusetts. The amendment also would ban civil unions in which gay couples are granted some of the same benefits that married couples enjoy.

Critics said the amendment is not needed because state law already defines marriage as the union of a husband and wife. They contend the amendment would outlaw benefits such as health care provided to partners of gay employees by many municipal governments and private companies.

Supporters acknowledge the courts would have to sort out what benefits could be offered to gay and unmarried couples.

Eighteen states have amended their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage or to declare marriages between gay and lesbian couples invalid, according to Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group. (AP)

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