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Marriage debate rages on

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Amid controversy broiling from a California judge overturning a state gay-marriage ban earlier this month, Wisconsin legislators are deciding whether to ban same-sex unions.

State Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, co-authored a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin State Constitution last year that would ban gay marriage.

“It is a constitutional amendment that would put into our Constitution that marriage in this state should only be between a man and a woman,” Gundrum said. “The amendment would also make sure gay marriages termed by something else, like civil union or civil covenant, also are precluded from being legalized by an activist court in this state in the future.”

For an amendment to be written into the state Constitution, it needs to be passed by two consecutive state legislative sessions and approved by a majority of voters in a state referendum. The amendment proposal, called the Defense of Marriage Amendment, was passed by the state Legislature in March 2004, and Gundrum said the amendment would come to a vote by legislators again sometime in the current two-year session.

In the November 2004 elections, 11 states passed referendums banning gay marriage.

Gundrum said there is no set date for a referendum vote on the amendment proposal.

“The vast majority of people I am aware of in the state support this constitutional amendment strongly,” Gundrum said.

The gay-marriage ban is aimed at strengthening marriage, Gundrum said, adding he thinks it is legitimate for the state to decide on the policy.

“Marriage in this state has always been between a man and a woman,” Gundrum said. “I think that is universally recognized as the healthiest, most balanced situation for upbringing of children.”

The proposed amendment has been met with opposition by many, including gay-rights groups.

Executive Director of Action Wisconsin Christopher Ott said the amendment to ban gay marriage would have consequences affecting everyone in the state, even heterosexual couples.

“The amendment goes far beyond just gay marriage,” Ott said. “It would ban not only marriage for gay and lesbian couples, but also civil unions and any form of meaningful protection — even domestic partnerships could be jeopardized by it.”

Ott said Action Wisconsin is trying to stop the amendment in the legislature and is also encouraging constituents to contact their legislators.

Though other states have passed gay-marriage bans, Ott said, many states have decided against them or had to overturn bans for many reasons.

“Even though 13 states passed these amendments last year, 15 states rejected them,” Ott said. “The legislatures in those states turned the bans down, so we’re hoping Wisconsin will do the same.”

Ott said the ban would also damage domestic-violence protection for unmarried women and eliminate domestic-partner benefits for heterosexuals who are not married.

“We want people to understand how far the amendment goes and also the ways that if passed, it would hurt real families in Wisconsin,” Ott said.

Though the state Legislature is controlled by Republicans, there are some legislators who are against the constitutional amendment.

State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said the amendment not only is unnecessary and unfair, but is also part of a Republican plot to influence the 2006 gubernatorial election. Black said though the amendment could have been voted on in a referendum on April 5 this year, Republicans decided to postpone the vote to get more conservatives to the polls next year.

“What that clearly shows is that the intent is not to affect public policy, but to use [the amendment] as a wedge issue to force the right wing in the partisan election,” Black said.