I believe this Supreme Court decision is a grave mistake. Five unelected judges have taken it upon themselves to redefine the institution of marriage, an institution that the author of this decision acknowledges ‘has been with us for millennia.’ In 2006 I, like millions of Americans, voted to amend our state constitution to protect the institution of marriage from exactly this type of judicial activism. The states are the proper place for these decisions to be made, and as we have seen repeatedly over the last few days, we will need a conservative president who will appoint men and women to the Court who will faithfully interpret the Constitution and laws of our land without injecting their own political agendas. As a result of this decision, the only alternative left for the American people is to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to reaffirm the ability of the states to continue to define marriage.Recognizing that our Founders made our Constitution difficult to amend, I am reminded that it was first amended to protect our ‘First Freedom’ - the free exercise of religion. The First Amendment does not simply protect a narrow ‘right to worship,’ but provides broad protection to individuals and institutions to worship and act in accordance with their religious beliefs. In fact, the Wisconsin constitution explicitly protects the rights of conscience of our citizens. I can assure all Wisconsinites concerned about the impact of today’s decision that your conscience rights will be protected, and the government will not coerce you to act against your religious beliefs.
I call on the president and all governors to join me in reassuring millions of Americans that the government will not force them to participate in activities that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. No one wants to live in a country where the government coerces people to act in opposition to their conscience. We will continue to fight for the freedoms of all Americans.
“I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision today to overturn same-sex marriage laws around the country,” said Congressman Grothman. “This would have been unthinkable 20 years ago, and as recently as three years ago President Obama said he was opposed to same-sex marriage. The American people are more than capable of making these decisions, just like we did in Wisconsin in 2006. Unfortunately, five Supreme Court justices clearly do not believe in the original intent of the 14th amendment as it was ratified in 1868. The contempt these Supreme Court justices have for the intent of our Constitution is shocking. This decision was partially influenced by recent public opinion, but the Constitution, as well as religious beliefs, should not change at the whim of public opinion.”
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is serving his first term representing Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Contact his Washington, D.C., office at (202) 225-2476, or online at grothman.house.gov.
The State of Wisconsin's unsuccessful court battle to prevent gay marriage will cost taxpayers more than $1 million, under an agreement released Friday.
State Attorney General Brad Schimel, a Republican, and attorneys for eight gay and lesbian couples reached the agreement after the couples successfully sued to overturn the state's 2006 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The couples were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought $1.25 million to cover its costs because the couples prevailed in their lawsuit. Ultimately, the ACLU will receive nearly $1.1 million, under the stipulation released Friday.
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia who believes bans like Wisconsin's are unconstitutional, said that he wasn't surprised at the cost to state taxpayers and that it could have been worse. Gov. Scott Walker, one of the defendants, and then-Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, both Republicans, opposed the same-sex plaintiffs at every level of the federal court system, he said.
"The state never seemed to appreciate how much taxpayer money is expended on this type of litigation in which it was pretty clear from the outset that Wisconsin was going to lose," Tobias said.
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh says it plans to reduce the number of its sports programs by two, in response to proposed state budget cuts.
The school said Monday it plans to drop the men's soccer and men's tennis teams, after the 2015-'16 school year.
In addition, UW-Oshkosh plans to combine the men's and women's track and field and men's and women's cross-country teams under a restructured coaching staff.
The action will reduce UW-Oshkosh's total number of varsity sports from 21 to 19 and result in the loss of two coaching positions.
"It really doesn't matter what I think now," Walker said, as quoted by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "It's in the constitution."
"No," he said, as quoted by the Journal-Sentinel. "I'm just not stating one at all."
“This is a slippery slope,” Kleefisch said. “In addition to that at what point are we going to be okay marrying inanimate objects? Can I marry this table or this, you know, clock? Can we marry dogs?And it was republican Role Model ducky Phil Robertson, who said this:
“This is ridiculous,” continued Kleefisch. “And biblically, again, I’m going to go right back to my fundamental Christian beliefs marriage is between one man and one woman.”
What, in your mind, is sinful?Ducky even speaks this silliness from the pulpit:
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
During Phil’s darkest days, in the early 1970s, he had to flee the state of Arkansas after he badly beat up a bar owner and the guy’s wife. Kay Robertson persuaded the bar owner not to press charges in exchange for most of the Robertsons’ life savings. (“A hefty price,” he notes in his memoir.) I ask Phil if he ever repented for that, as he wants America to repent—if he ever tracked down the bar owner and his wife to apologize for the assault. He shakes his head.
“I didn’t dredge anything back up. I just put it behind me.”
Asked how voters might judge governors who bid for the presidency, the Wisconsinite replied, “Governors should be defined not just by what they do and say, but who they surround themselves with, making sure to have the smartest person for a particular task or to head a specific agency. They should be judged on that basis and who they take advice from.”
Vivian Boyack and Alice "Nonie" Dubes say it is never too late for people to write new chapters in their lives.What business wants to do business in a state that would have pictures like this plastered in their local newspaper?
Boyack, 91, and Dubes, 90, began a new chapter in their 72-year relationship Saturday when they exchanged wedding vows at First Christian Church, Davenport.
In Iowa two women are allowed to get married, the sacred institution of marriage is in trouble. In Wisconsin we know, protect and honor that sacred institution. Men will not be marrying men and women will not be marrying women. (cut to Robin Vos)
Hello I am Robin Vos, speaker of the Assembly in WI. We realize how important traditional marriage is and know how important it is to the bottom line of your business. Relocate to WI and we pledge to help your business by keeping marriage between a man and a woman and forcing transvaginal ultra sounds on those liberal harlets! Relocate to WI and the money will be rolling in.
Like Wisconsin, many other corporate-controlled states have passed laws banning same-sex marriages, because it would tear the fabric of society apart. Unlike Wisconsin, many of these other corporate-controlled states still have Supreme Courts that follow the Constitution and have struck down these unconstitutional discrimination laws.But according to online court records, the court denied the "petition for original action" on Thursday, with Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Justice Ann Walsh Bradley dissenting. No written opinions were issued.Obviously, these same sex marriages are a threat to the sanctity of marriage. And if you don't believe that, just ask people like Robin Vos or Charlie Sykes, who have celebrated the sanctity of marriage several times each. In fact, they find marriage so sanctified that they couldn't even wait to celebrate before they were married to their next wives.
In a written statement, the plaintiffs called the decision frustrating.
"In the last few weeks, throughout the nation, there has been great momentum in providing same-sex couples the right to marry. We were very hopeful the Wisconsin Supreme Court would at least hear our case. We think today is also a sad day for the State of Wisconsin."
They said they hope similar challenges on the Wisconsin ban will succeed and thanked people for the support they received.
And Gov. Scott Walker, who voted for the state’s ban and has been a longtime opponent of gay marriage, dodged questions Friday about whether he still supports the prohibition. He said he didn’t know whether the ban would withstand legal challenges, and that he can’t judge that because he’s not an attorney.
Walker also said he didn’t know how significant it would be for the state if gay marriage were to be legalized.Scott Walker has been a "long time opponent" of gay marriage but "knows nothing" about it or how the ban effects the people of Wisconsin(the people he supposedly represents).
A federal judge threw out Oregon's same-sex marriage ban Monday, marking the 13th legal victory for gay marriage advocates since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned part of a federal ban.State officials earlier refused to defend Oregon's voter-approved ban and said they wouldn't appeal.
IS OREGON'S ATTORNEY GENERAL THE ONLY ONE NOT DEFENDING A STATE BAN?No. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is one of seven top state prosecutors who have refused to defend same-sex marriage bans in court. Attorney generals in Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Nevada and Kentucky, all Democrats, have made the same decision. Virginia and Kentucky still appealed rulings. A county clerk who was sued in Virginia is fighting that ban, and Kentucky hired outside attorneys.
In yet another sign that Republicans foresee defeat in the battle over gay marriage, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen conceded in a recent interview that the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex unions may soon be overturned in court.JB Van Hollen knows that it is just a matter of time before our gay hate amendment gets overturned but JB is not one to give up. Taxpayer money or time is of no obecj to JB, not when he can do something to appease Julaine Appling.
Despite emphasizing in a weekend TV interview that he would aggressively defend challenges to the ban, Van Hollen, who will leave office after two terms in January, said that in light of court decisions overturning similar bans across the country, it was likely that the federal and state judges addressing the two different suits against Wisconsin’s law would not side with him.JB Van Hollen has failed on internet sex predator cases but still would rather waste his time defending a discriminatory ban whose time has long passed.
“I certainly won’t be at all surprised if we lose in our court here as well,” he told WISN anchor Mike Gousha.
Marriage licenses given to same-sex couples in the state are invalid because the couples were barred from marrying, just like 12-year-olds, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's attorneys said on Aug. 28.I wonder if they called Becky Kleefisch in as an expert witness so they could also compare gays to dogs and claim that gay marriage is like marrying furniture.
Corbett's administration has filed a lawsuit seeking to block same-sex marriage licenses in suburban Philadelphia, where Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes has issued more than 150 to gay and lesbian couples since July 24.
State attorneys said in a court filing that the marriage licenses given to gay people have no "value or legitimacy" and can't be defended in court. They compared gay and lesbian couples to children, who can't marry because a 1996 law says marriage is between a man and a woman.
"Had the clerk issued marriage licenses to 12-year-olds in violation of state law, would anyone seriously contend that each 12-year-old ... is entitled to a hearing on the validity of his `license'?" the state wrote, according to a story on the Philly.com news website.
Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Council says, “Governor Walker’s proclamation rightly identifies the benefits of marriage and the costs of marital breakdown, not only for the men, women and children directly involved, but also for the entire state.” The proclamation reads in part, “Marriage breakdown takes a toll on the emotional, physical and financial well-being of the entire family, and increases the public cost for human service programs.”
If your using people getting equal rights as an excuse to drink yourself so stupid that you're injuring several people, you have bigger problems than you realize.Delegate Don Dwyer, a Republican from Anne Arundel, told The Capital of Annapolis that his drinking increased toward the end of last year’s General Assembly session.
Dwyer said he felt sold out when colleagues voted last year for same-sex marriage, an issue he spent years working against. Voters affirmed gay marriage in the state in November, leading to the first same-sex weddings in the state on Jan. 1.
Dwyer also separated from his wife in November 2011.
He has acknowledged that he was under the influence of alcohol when his boat collided with another vessel on the Magothy River in August. Several people were injured.
First, it is unfortunate that many individuals that supported Chick fil a appreciation day made it solely about traditional marriage, and that much of the media reported it as being a negative event.The excuse that Alexander offers is one which came up as an afterthought in order to defer any backlash against the supporters of Cathy's narrow-minded and bigoted stance.
I join the ACLU in being appalled that some government officials are seeking to prevent the lawful operation of businesses, like Chick fil a, based solely on the religious beliefs of the owner, in the absence of any evidence of actual discrimination. I have close ties to the LGBT community and have not done anything hateful. I have read one of S. Truett Cathy’s books describing the Christian foundation that Chick fil a is based on, I respect Chick fil a’s business practices, and I attended this event to support Dan Cathy’s right to free speech. Had government officials treated Amazon, Target, or Starbucks the same way based solely on owners’ or management’s free speech support for gay marriage, I would have been happy to attend a similar BUY-cott.
“Let’s affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1.”From Huckabee's statement, it's very clear that the event wasn't an issue of Free Speech but a show of support for Cathy's anti-homosexual agenda.
Huckabee continued: “Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we’re considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant.”
"Millions of dollars in Chick-fil-A profits have been contributed to organizations that work to perpetuate the second class status of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people worldwide. This money comes from customers who eat at Chick-fil-A restaurants. It's important for people to know that when they support businesses like Chick-fil-A, they are also supporting these organizations."Even if one were to give Supervisor Alexander the benefit of the doubt and take her rationale at face value, she should still have been very conscious of the message she was sending, whether it was intentional or not. She is an elected representative of Milwaukee County and this was entirely the wrong message for her to be sending.
I would submit that (Obama’s announcement) was the culmination of decades of the media and education sending a message that “marriage is whatever I want it to be, marriage is about my personal happiness, it’s about me!”
It’s not about me. It’s about children. Now, there are couples who choose not to have children and that’s their right, but the bulk of them do have children. What we know (is) the way we prepare the next generation to become the workforce, the taxpayers, the geniuses, the entrepreneurs … is for them to be brought up by a married mom and dad.
(CNN) -- North Carolina voters have passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, CNN projects, putting a ban that already existed in state law into the state's charter.
With more than 1.5 million votes counted from Tuesday's referendum, supporters of the ban led opponents by a margin of 61% to 39%, according to figures from the State Board of Elections. Its backers prepared to celebrate by serving wedding cake to their supporters in a Raleigh ballroom.Tami Fitzgerald, the head of Vote for Marriage NC, said she had been confident that "the people of North Carolina would rise up and vote to keep the opposition from redefining traditional marriage."We are not anti-gay, we are pro-marriage," she said. "And the point -- the whole point -- is simply that you don't rewrite the nature of God's design for marriage based on the demands of a group of adults."
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