Wisconsin Gets Domestic Partnerships

[ccharles000]

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the state budget into law today. That budget includes provisions for a Domestic Partnership registry to provide protections for same-sex couples as well as insurance rights for State employees. Protections include hospital visitation rights, inheritance rights, joint tenancy rights, and the ability to take Family Medical Leave (FMLA) to care for a sick/injured partner or non-biological/non-adopted child.

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/29/12707#comments

[myrna minx]

1. Wonderful! K&R n/t

[ccharles000]

2. kick

[MADem]

6. Rec! nt

[Dangerously Amused]

3. Cool! Gotta love Big Jim!

:loveya:

[Fridays Child]

4. It's a good step in the right direction.

k/r

[ccharles000]

12. yup

[Soylent Brice]

5. K&R

[TheWraith]

7. Better.

Still, a bit incremental for a solidly blue state.

[LeftHander]

8. Good news....but....fundies and wingers are on the attack....

They are already setting up a challenge:

snip....

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/45850022.html

"Most reasonable, compassionate people in the state of Wisconsin think it makes sense to at least allow basic protections to same-sex couples," Pocan said.

Some opponents have said such domestic partnerships could violate the state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage passed by 59% of voters in 2006.

It banned same-sex marriage as well as any identical or substantially similar legal status, such as a civil union. Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, which advocated for the amendment, said the measure too closely resembles marriage, and has attorneys evaluating it for a possible challenge.

"Its intent is to create something that is a legal status substantially similar to that of marriage," Appling said.

[joeybee12]

9. But wait...it's just the term "marriage" they are against, right?

Right. (a sarcastic right).

[Mari333]

10. its a start but it does not provide 1049 benefits that marriage does

until glbt folks are able to marry legally, they are second class citizens. domestic partnerships do not provide all the benefits that marriage does. its that simple.
the states will eventually have to fold and just accept that lgbt legal marriage WILL HAPPEN and they better get used to it.

[ccharles000]

11. I agree

[Vidar]

13. Not perfect, but good for Wisconsin.

[ccharles000]

14. yep