Wisconsin Issues

The Birds

"We oppose the proposed constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage. As former governors, we believe the ban runs contrary to the values of freedom and fairness that make Wisconsin great.
"The founding document of our state is designed to lay the foundation for our government and protect individual freedoms. The civil unions and marriage ban is wrong because it would mark the first time we have ever amended our constitution to limit freedom.
"We also oppose the ban because it is unnecessarily harsh and far reaching. Marriage for gay couples is already illegal in the state of Wisconsin. It is unfair to single out a group of people in our state and deny them any measure of basic legal protection.
"We urge the people of Wisconsin to carefully consider the civil unions and marriage ban, and the impact it will have on families who live in our state. We hope you will join us in voting no in November."
Former Wisconsin Governors Patrick Lucey, (Democrat, served Wisconsin as Governor from 1971 to 1977), Martin Schreiber (Democrat, served from 1977 to 1979), and Lee Sherman Dreyfus (Republican, served from 1979 to 1983), and Tony Earl (Democrat, served from 1983 to 1987); in a joint press statement, June 28, 2006.

The Wisconsin State Senate voted along party lines in December, 2005, to approve the proposed amendment to the state Constitution prohibiting marriage, civil unions, or any arrangement "identical or substantially similar to marriage" between anyone other than a man and a woman. The theocrats pushing this amendment used to pretend that they weren't really banning civil unions, but now that they have been caught telling their supporters that the amendment does prohibit civil unions, they're back to the old canards of "protecting marriage" and stopping "activist judges."

Ironically, lead sponsor, Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) acknowledged judges would have to interpret the "substantially similar" wording. "That begs the judiciary to get involved," he told The Wisconsin State Journal. Thank you for clearing up that this is not about taking the issue away from "activist judges," you fucking prick.

Given the Republicans' overwhelming majority in the state Assembly (combined with support of Democrats whose experience with bigotry ought to mean they'd know better), passage in the Assembly is a foregone conclusion. Then the measure will go before the voters next November, in time to share the ballot with the race for governor.

Will this effort to motivate antigay zealots to get out and vote work for Republicans? Or will this actually give amendment opponents enough time to convince Wisconsinites that this mean-spirited, spiteful amendment deserves no place in the state Constitution?

**The Vote to Write Bigotry into the Wisconsin Constitution (Senate, November, 2005; Assembly February, 2006)**
SENATE REPUBLICANS IN FAVOR Ron Brown (Eau Claire) Robert Cowles (Green Bay) Alberta Darling (River Hills) Michael Ellis (Neenah) Scott Fitzgerald (Juneau) Glenn Grothman* (West Bend) Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls) Theodore Kavanas* (Brookfield) Dan Kapanke* (La Crosse) Neal Kedzie (Elkhorn) David Hansen (Green Bay) Alan LaSee (De Pere) Mary Lazich (New Berlin) Joe Leibham (Sheboygan) Luther Olsen* (Berlin) Tom Reynolds (West Allis) Carol Roessler (Oshkosh) Dale Schultz (Richland Ctr.) Cathy Stepp (Racine) David Zien (Eau Claire) * New member since 3/2004	SENATE DEMOCRATS IN FAVOR (none)	SENATE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED (none)	SENATE DEMOCRATS OPPOSED Roger Breske (Eland) Tim Carpenter (Milwaukee) Chuck Chvala (Madison) Spencer Coggs (Milwaukee) Russell Decker (Schofield) Jon Erpenbach (Middleton) David Hansen (Green Bay) Robert Jauch (Poplar) Julie Lassa (Stevens Pt.) Mark Meyer (La Crosse) __ Moore (Milwaukee) Jeffrey Plale (S. Milwaukee) Fred Risser (Madison) Judith Biros Robson (Beloit) Bob Wirch (Kenosha) ** Switched vote since 3/2004
ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS IN FAVOR John Ainsworth (Shawano) Sheryl Albers (Loganville) Joan Ballweg* (Markusan) Garey Bies (Sister Bay) Brett Davis* (Oregon) Jeff Fitzgerald (Horicon) Stephen Freese (Dodgeville) Donald Friske (Merrill) John Gard (Peshtigo) Curtis Gielow (Mequon) Mark Gottlieb (Pt. Washington) Scott Gunderson (Troy-Raymond) Mark Gundrum (New Berlin) Eugene Hahn (Cambria) J.A. Hines (Oxford) Mark Honadel (S. Milwaukee) Suzanne Jeskewitz (Menomonee Falls) Dean Kaufert (Neenah) Samantha Kerkman (Burlington) Steve Kestell (Elkhart Lake) Joel Kleefisch* (Oconomowoc) Judy Krawczyk (Green Bay) Robin Kreibich (Eau Claire) Andy Lamb* (Menomonie) Frank Lasee (Bellevue) Dan Lemahieu (Oostburg) Gabe Loeffelholz (Platteville) Thomas Lothian (Williams Bay) Terri McCormick (Appleton) Dan Meyer (Eagle River) Phil Montgomery (Ashwaubenon) Terry Moulton* (Chippewa Falls) Jeffrey Mursau* (Crivitz) Terry Musser (Black River Falls) Stephen Nass (Whitewater) Lee Nerison* (Westby) Scott Newcomer* (Delafield) Ann Nischke (Waukesha) Al Ott (Forest Jct.) Carol Owens (Oshkosh) Jery Petrowski (Marathon) Mark Pettis (Hertel) Don Pridemore* (Hartford) Kitty Rhoades (Hudson) Jeff Stone (Greenfield) Pat Strachota* (West Bend) Scott Suder (Abbotsford) Debra Towns (Janesville) John Townshend (Fond du Lac) Karl Van Roy (Green Bay) Robin Vos* (Caledonia) Leah Vukmir (Wauwatosa) David Ward (Ft. Atkinson) Steve Wieckert (Appleton) Mary Williams (Medford) Jeff Wood (Chippewa Falls) * New member since 2004	ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS IN FAVOR Mary Hubler (Rice Lake) Peggy Krusick (Milwaukee) Tony Staskunas (West Allis) Terry Van Akkeren (Sheboygan) Annette Williams (Milwaukee) Bob Ziegelbauer* (Manitowoc> (September, 2006 update: Ziegelbauer is the Democrat endorsing gay-bashing putrescent Republican John Gard for Congress in the 8th CD. In Gard's TV ad.)	ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS OPPOSED Gregg Underheim (Oshkosh)	ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS OPPOSED Chuck Benedict (Beloit) Terese Berceau (Madison) Spencer Black (Madison) Frank Boyle (Superior) Pedro Colon (Milwaukee) David Cullen** (Milwaukee) Jason Fields* (Milwaukee) Tamara Grigsby* (Milwaukee) Barb Gronemus** (Whitehall) Tom Hebl (Sun Prairie) Fred Kessler* (Milwaukee) John Lehman (Racine) Louis Molepske** (Stevens Point) Tom Nelson* (Kaukauna) Joe Parisi* (Madison) Mark Pocan (Madison) Sondy Pope-Roberts (Verona) Jon Richards (Milwaukee) Marlin Schneider (WI Rapids) Donna Seidel* (Wausau) Mike Sheridan* (Janesville) Gary Sherman (Port Wing) Jennifer Shilling (La Crosse) Christine Sinicki (Milwaukee) John Steinbrink (Pleasant Prairie) Barbara Toles (Milwaukee) David Travis (Madison) Bob Turner (Racine) Amy Sue Vruwink (Milladore) Sheldon Wasserman (Milwaukee) Josh Zepnick (Milwaukee) Switched vote since 2004

"This is called the Defense of Marriage Act. Whoever thought that up? Now, I'm divorced, and I can assure you that I did not get divorced because there were two gay guys living down the street. I got divorced, because, like you guys, my wife thought I was a jerk."
--Rep. Dave Travis, D-Waunakee, during floor debate, Feb. 28. Here's the vote count.

Both houses of the Wisconsin state legislature voted in March, 2004 in favor of amending the state Constitution to forbid not only same-sex marriage but also civil unions, domestic partnerships, and any other legal arrangement at any level for same-sex couples and their families. The language would likely make any employer domestic partnership benefits unconstitutional.

"There are a lot of people who think that people should be able to marry whoever they want or whatever they want."
--Wisconsin Assembly Speaker John Gard (R-Peshtigo), at the state Republican party convention, May, 2004.

"I am dismayed that upon hearing my remarks in opposition to gay marriage you have immediately made the rather dramatic leap of suggesting that I am equating homosexuality with bestiality."
--John Gard, responding to criticism of the above statement from the Wisconsin Log Cabin Society. Apparently, he's worried about people marrying inanimate objects, geographic places, or abstract concepts.

"Wisconsin’s proposed Defense of Marriage Constitutional Amendment … has been carefully crafted to ensure that such ‘look-alike marriages’ would not be valid here."
Julaine Appling, executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of Family Research Institute, momentarily forgetting last April that forces pushing the Marriage Constitutional Amendment are supposed to pretend that the Amendment would still allow "civil unions" in spite of its second sentence outlawing any arrangement "substantially similar" to marriage. Appling made this comment in a press release after Connecticut legalized civil unions in that state.

**The Vote to Write Bigotry into the Wisconsin Constitution (March 2004)**
SENATE REPUBLICANS IN FAVOR Ron Brown (Eau Claire) Robert Cowles (Green Bay) Alberta Darling (River Hills) Michael Ellis (Neenah) Scott Fitzgerald (Juneau) Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls) Neal Kedzie (Elkhorn) Alan Lasee (De Pere) Mary Lazich (New Berlin) Joe Leibham (Sheboygan) Mary Panzer (West Bend) Tom Reynolds (West Allis) Carol Roessler (Oshkosh) Dale Schultz (Richland Ctr.) Cathy Stepp (Racine) Bob Welch (Redgranite) David Zien (Eau Claire)	SENATE DEMOCRATS IN FAVOR Roger Breske (Eland) David Hansen (Green Bay)	SENATE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED (none)	SENATE DEMOCRATS OPPOSED Tim Carpenter (Milwaukee) Chuck Chvala (Madison) Spencer Coggs (Milwaukee) Russell Decker (Schofield) Jon Erpenbach (Middleton) Robert Jauch (Poplar) Julie Lassa (Stevens Pt.) Mark Meyer (La Crosse) Gwendolynne Moore (Milwaukee) Jeffrey Plale (S. Milwaukee) Fred Risser (Madison) Judith Biros Robson (Beloit) Bob Wirch (Kenosha)
ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS IN FAVOR John Ainsworth (Shawano) Sheryl Albers (Loganville) Garey Bies (Sister Bay) Jeff Fitzgerald (Horicon) Steve Foti (Oconomowoc) Stephen Freese (Dodgeville) Donald Friske (Merrill) John Gard (Peshtigo) Curtis Gielow (Mequon) Mark Gottlieb (Pt. Washington) Glenn Grothman (West Bend) Scott Gunderson (Troy-Raymond) Mark Gundrum (New Berlin) Eugene Hahn (Cambria) J.A. Hines (Oxford) Mark Honadel (S. Milwaukee) Michael Huebsch (West Salem) Jean Hundertmark (Clintonville) Scott Jensen (Waukesha) Suzanne Jeskewitz (Menomonee Falls) Dean Kaufert (Neenah) Samantha Kerkman (Burlington) Steve Kestell (Elkhart Lake) Judy Krawczyk (Green Bay) Robin Kreibich (Eau Claire) Bonnie Ladwig (Racine) Frank Lasee (Bellevue) Michael Lehman (Hartford) Dan Lemahieu (Oostburg) Gabe Loeffelholz (Platteville) Thomas Lothian (Williams Bay) Terri McCormick (Appleton) Dan Meyer (Eagle River) Phil Montgomery (Ashwaubenon) Terry Musser (Black River Falls) Stephen Nass (Whitewater) Ann Nischke (Waukesha) Luther Olsen (Berlin) Al Ott (Forest Jct.) Carol Owens (Oshkosh) Jery Petrowski (Marathon) Mark Pettis (Hertel) Mike Powers (Albany) Kitty Rhoades (Hudson) Lorraine Seratti (Spread Eagle) Jeff Stone (Greenfield) Scott Suder (Abbotsford) Debra Towns (Janesville) John Townshend (Fond du Lac) Karl Van Roy (Green Bay) Dan Vrakas (Hartland) Leah Vukmir (Wauwatosa) David Ward (Ft. Atkinson) Becky Weber (Green Bay) Steve Wieckert (Appleton) Mary Williams (Medford) Jeff Wood (Chippewa Falls)	ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS IN FAVOR David Cullen (Milwaukee) Barb Gronemus (Whitehall) Greg Huber (Wausau) Mary Hubler (Rice Lake) Louis Molepske (Stevens Point) Johnnie Morris-Tatum (Milwaukee) Anthony Staskunas (West Allis) John Steinbrink (Pleasant Prairie) Terry Van Akkeren (Sheboygan) Annette Polly Williams (Milwaukee) Wayne Wood (Janesville) Bob Ziegelbauer (Manitowoc)	ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS OPPOSED DuWayne Johnsrud (Eastman) Gregg Underheim (Oshkosh)	ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS OPPOSED Larry Balow (Eau Claire) Terese Berceau (Madison) Spencer Black (Madison) Frank Boyle (Superior) Pedro Colon (Milwaukee) Tom Hebl (Sun Prairie) Jim Kreuser (Kenosha) Shirley Krug (Milwaukee) John Lehman (Racine) Mark Miller (Monona) Joe Plouff (Menomonie) Mark Pocan (Madison) Sondy Pope-Roberts (Verona) Jon Richards (Milwaukee) Marlin Schneider (WI Rapids) Dan Schooff (Beloit) Gary Sherman (Port Wing) Jennifer Shilling (La Crosse) Christine Sinicki (Milwaukee) Lena Taylor (Milwaukee) Barbara Toles (Milwaukee) David Travis (Madison) Bob Turner (Racine) Amy Sue Vruwink (Milladore) Sheldon Wasserman (Milwaukee) Leon Young (Milwaukee) Josh Zepnick (Milwaukee)

Campaign 2008	The Tommy Thompson files	9 years at the Milwaukee Business Journal
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