Wisconsin Assembly Passes DOMA

(Madison, Wisconsin) The Wisconsin state Assembly Thursday passed legislation limiting marriage to heterosexual unions. The Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as a contract between a man and a woman.

The state already has similar legislation, which says that marriage is a contract between a husband and wife, but the authors of the new bill say judges could interpret that language loosely and redefine marriage to allow same-sex unions.

The say the new version will make the definition indisputable. But, Wisconsin's Attorney General disagrees. In a legal opinion from Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said that the bill is 'legally indistinguishable from current state law.' She also said the legislation would 'add nothing of substance to existing statutes.'

In the debate leading up to the vote, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, who is openly gay, said the bill was little more than an attempt bash gays and lesbians.

'Didn't we just put our hands over our hearts a couple of hours ago and pledge liberty and justice for all?'

LGBT civil rights organization Action Wisconsin denounced the legislation as unnecessary and founded on irrational fear and prejudice.

“The far right in Wisconsin has had the same agenda for years, and attacking lesbian and gay people and their families has been a key part of it. Today is a test of whether that agenda has come home to roost in our state legislature,” said Action Wisconsin executive director Christopher Ott.

The group also charged key sponsors of the bill with hypocrisy. Nine of the co-sponsors of this bill have been divorced at least once. “If they really want to defend marriages, they should start with their own,” said Ott.

“They're posing as ‘defenders of marriage’ instead of finding solutions to real problems.”

The bill now goes to the Senate. Governor Jim Doyle has not indicated if he will veto it if the bill passes both houses.

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