Wisconsin Gov. Walker Now Picking on Same Sex Couples

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 19, 2011 6:40PM

We've kind of figured that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's political philosophy is rooted in "I don't give a damn" with his ongoing battle with labor unions in America's Self-Serious Dairlyland. Now Walker has an eye on denying same-sex couples some basic rights. Walker believes a new law allowing same-sex couples hospital visitation rights is a violation of the state constitution and has asked a judge to allow Wisconsin to stop defending it.

The law was signed into effect by former Gov. Jim Doyle two years ago allowed for the creation of registries granting same-sex couples some basic rights including hospital visits, family medical leave to care for a stricken partner, health benefits under a partner's insurance and the right to inherit assets when a partner dies. An anti-gay rights group argued that it was a violation of the state constitution. Republican attorney general J.B. Van Hollen agreed, so Doyle hired another attorney, Lester Pines, to defend the state. Pines was subsequently fired by Walker when he took office. Pines believes that Walker's opposition to the law is based in ideology. Forbes E.D. Kain agrees.

Walker is literally going out of his way to prevent two people in a loving, committed relationship from visiting one another at the hospital. In other words, at what is quite likely a couple’s darkest hour, Scott Walker wants to impose legal restrictions barring two people from being with one another. Imagine that your wife or your husband was in the hospital and you were legally prohibited from visiting them. Is this the role we want our government to play in our lives?

Since the law took effect, 1,700 couples have signed up. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Moeser is expected to rule on Walker's request next month.