Marriage/civil unions ban passes Senate

The State Senate voted today to pass the constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage and civil unions in Wisconsin.

No on the Amendment has the rundown of the day's events. It now moves on to the Assembly where it's expected to pass. The upside is that Wisconsin residents have almost a year to learn about what a bad idea this is.

Once again, it's the so-called party of small government pushing an amendment that intrudes into the private lives of its citizens. All 14 State Senate Democrats voted against the amendment which reads as follows:

"Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."

The "substantially similar" line is of importance, because that is the portion of the amendment which bans civil unions. The Journal Sentinel story even mentions that the amendment's author Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) put the second line in for that expressed purpose. So don't be fooled by anyone who tells you otherwise.