Just a month after legalizing gay marriage, Minneapolis city officials unveiled an ad campaign at a press conference Monday inviting same-sex Wisconsin couples to get married across the border.
Standing beside Mayor Paul Soglin and Fair Wisconsin President Katie Belanger, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said he hoped this advantage Minnesota has over Wisconsin will be short-term, but until then, Wisconsin couples are invited to marry in Minnesota.
“We hope someday this strategic advantage is taken away from Minnesota and our two neighboring states can be on the same line, but until then, come on up and get married,” Rybak said.
In 2006, Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, but allowing for domestic partnerships.
In addition to Minnesota, the states that allow same-sex marriage also include Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maine, Maryland and Washington.
Rybak criticized Gov. Scott Walker for not recognizing the economic benefit of allowing same-sex marriages in Wisconsin.
While he said the potential economic impact for Wisconsin is unknown, if same-sex marriage is approved in Illinois, $100 million will pour into the economy in the Chicago-area alone.
Calls to Walker’s office for comment were not returned.
Soglin said the economic impact will negatively affect Wisconsin until same-sex marriage is passed.
“Some folks are leaving states like Wisconsin not just for the ceremony but for the recognition of the welcoming of those other states and are deciding to relocate their families and businesses,” Soglin said.
Rybak said entrepreneurial businesses run by same-sex couples in Minnesota will experience financial advantages Wisconsin does not have, such as going on a partner’s healthcare.
Belanger added people will live in places they feel accepted.
“People want to live in the communities where they are respected [and] treated equally under the law and businesses want to operate where they can have the most diverse workforce,” Belanger said.
Rybak’s ad campaign comes less than a week after the state Department of Revenue released a guidance saying same-sex couples must file individual state income tax returns, even though they are able to file federal tax returns as a couple.
Belanger said the “government’s hands are tied” when it comes to decisions like the DOR guidance because of the 2006 constitutional amendment.
Rybak said he is a strong believer in the institution of marriage, regardless of sexual orientation.
“Last time I checked, not a single thing about that impacted my marriage to my wife, or any of the other marriages in the state of Minnesota, but it made a whole lot of people happy,” he said.
