PANEL FAVORS TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

Backers Want Clarity; Foe Calls Bill Hateful

Madison - A key Assembly panel took less than a minute Thursday to vote
unanimously for a bill that would define marriage in Wisconsin as being
strictly between one man and one woman.

State Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin) said the measure could prevent
courts from stretching the definition of marriage to recognize same-sex
marriages in Wisconsin.

"I don't think we should be tinkering with an institution that has worked
so well for so long in our society," said Gundrum.

A critic of the bill immediately denounced the Assembly Judiciary
Committee's 6-0 vote to endorse the measure. The vote clears the way for it
to be considered by the Assembly, possibly in the fall session that begins
Sept. 23.

"Every legislator who voted for this legislation should be ashamed. It's
hate legislation," insisted Christopher Ott, executive director of Action
Wisconsin, a gay and lesbian advocacy group. "What we really need to be
doing is protecting all families and not singling out gay and lesbian
families for attacks."

Gundrum, however, denied that it is intended as a gay-bashing measure.

"We have 36 states that clearly state that marriage is between a man and a
woman, and Wisconsin is not among them," Gundrum said. "That puts us in a
very difficult legal position when this is challenged in the future."

The panel, without debate, took less than one minute to approve the bill,
which was the subject of a tense and emotional public hearing in late August.

Five Republicans on the panel were joined by Rep. David Cullen
(D-Milwaukee) in voting for the measure. Two other Democrats, Reps. Tony
Staskunas, of West Allis, and Tom Hebl, of Sun Prairie, were not present
for the vote.

The state now defines marriage as being a civil contract between a husband
and wife, and backers of the bill say an active judiciary could interpret
that to mean same-sex couples without gender-specific language.

Ott said that there is nothing ambiguous about the state's current law
defining marriage as being between a husband and wife.

"They're doing this to score points with their far-right, anti-gay
backers," Ott said.

Gundrum, who is also chairman of the panel, countered that his measure
would protect the institution of marriage.

"There's nobody who can argue that it doesn't help to clarify our statutes
and our public policy in this state that marriage shall be between one man
and one woman," Gundrum said.

Ott said the lawmakers were turning their backs on many same-sex couples in
their own districts.

In other action, the panel:

Recommended for passage a bill by Gundrum that would make it easier to
prosecute drivers who use illegal drugs by requiring only a showing that
the driver had an illegal drug in his or her system. Current law requires
that the illegal drug actually impair the driver.

Endorsed a bill defining live birth, including infants born alive after
abortion. The measure would convey the legal rights of a human if the
infant takes a breath, has a pulsating umbilical cord or a beating heart.