The state’s Joint Finance Committee could go a long way toward restoring fairness in Wisconsin by approving Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed domestic partnership benefits. No, this doesn’t mean that the discriminatory constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages or civil unions will be wiped from the books. That would have to be undone by the state Supreme Court or state voters and the state Legislature.
Instead,
the governor is proposing that Wisconsin follow the lead of other U.S.
cities and states by granting committed same-sex domestic partners
about 40 legal protections, such as hospital visitation rights,
end-of-life decisions and family leave options. And while conservatives
object to Doyle’s plan based on the amendment’s restrictions, a recent
Wisconsin Legislative Council memo states that the proposed domestic
partnership benefits do not violate the ban because they “do not confer
a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage
for unmarried individuals.” The memo points to lots of legal
reasoning dating back to 2003, when state Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New
Berlin) sought support for the ban from his colleagues. Back
then, even noted ban supporters such as Julaine Appling, then of the
Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, and state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald
(R-Juneau) reassured on-the-fence voters that banning same-sex marriage
would not prohibit some legal protections for same-sex partners.
We’re
also heartened to hear that the state Supreme Court has agreed to
review the legality of the referendum question that implemented the
ban. Technically, a referendum can only ask voters a question about one
subject. But it could be argued that the 2006 referendum’s question
included two subjects: same-sex marriage and civil unions of all kinds.
The court may issue a decision by the end of the year. Let’s hope it’s
the one that makes Wisconsin more inclusive and tolerant.
Hero of the Week:LaTonya Lavender, Milwaukee Foster Mother
Certain professions, like policeman or firefighter, are heroic by their very nature. To that list we would add Wisconsin’s 4,100 foster families, who open their homes to children in need. From this outstanding body of volunteers, Wisconsin First Lady Jessica Doyle and Department of Children and Families Secretary Reggie Bicha honored LaTonya Lavender of Milwaukee with the 2009 Governor’s Foster Care Award on Monday, citing her commitment to foster children in our community. Lavender originally became a foster parent to offer kinship care for her niece, but has since welcomed several other children into her home.
Flattered by the recognition, Lavender says the “hardest part about being a foster parent is being human.” The goal of foster care is often the reunification of a family, Lavender says, and “it is difficult not to get too attached” to the kids she takes care of. “Bittersweet” is how she describes the momentous day when a foster child is reunited with his or her birth family. The Department of Children and Families urges responsible adults like Lavender to step forward to help the more than 7,300 Wisconsin children living in out-of-home care. The department’s Web site is http://dcf.wisconsin.gov.
All foster families deserve recognition for their actions, which is why we celebrate LaTonya Lavender as our Hero of the Week.
Jerk of the Week: Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce
Unfortunately, our state’s major business organization, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), continues to lose popular support and some board members as it persists in being a right-wing political player rather than an honest advocate for business and economic development in the state. As you recall, this is the organization that chose to spend millions upon millions of dollars in recent campaigns to help defeat Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk for attorney general and the more qualified and honest candidates for state Supreme Court in 2007 and 2008 with false and negative ads. Both of the Supreme Court candidates that WMC helped to put in office with negative ads faced ethics investigations as they entered their new jobs as justices. What a disgrace. And if you still had doubts about the objectivity and balance of the state’s business group, they put those to rest when they invited Karl Rove to speak at a breakfast meeting in Milwaukee on Tuesday to push their right-wing agenda. It wasn’t always this way. Twenty-five years ago, the WMC had a president, Paul Hassett, who had high integrity and ran an organization that tried to promote the interests of business instead of playing right-wing political games. We need business leaders like Hassett if Wisconsin is to move forward.
anonymous
