ACLU of Wisconsin Denounces Legislature’s Pandering on Discrimination Amendment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2006
Contact: Chris Ahmuty, ACLU/WI Executive Director
               414.272.4032 Ext. 13

MILWAUKEE, WI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin today denounced the Wisconsin Legislature’s approval of a referendum that will ask Wisconsin voters to write discrimination against unmarried couples into the state’s constitution.   The Wisconsin Legislature has approved putting a referendum on the November ballot to amend the Wisconsin State Constitution.  The amendment would ban the possibility of civil unions or civil marriage contracts that do not exist in Wisconsin.  

Today, ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director, Chris Ahmuty issued the following statement:

“The ACLU of Wisconsin and its nearly 9,000 members statewide believe in fairness toward our neighbors.  We also try to protect residents from abuse by their own government.  

We believe that the Legislature should not take away the constitution’s protections from one group of Wisconsin residents, unmarried couples. 

Legislators who spread fear among the good people of Wisconsin by suggesting that fairness for same sex couples is a threat to traditional religious marriages are pandering.

            The Wisconsin Constitution should protect state residents from government excess.  It should not enshrine legislators’ private or political agenda.   

            The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin will be speaking up for fairness and against discrimination before the November election.”

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