Latest Blog Posts
Blocking an end run around the will of the people
This week’s radio commentary:
“My wife and I have talked about this to all our friends,” the caller said. “And we all agree. We just don’t get why you think it’s wrong two loving and committed people of the same sex to get married or enjoy the same rights we have as a heterosexual married couple, unless you are part of some fringe religious group,” the caller concluded during my interview with Wisconsin Public Radio on Monday of this week. “Oh, my, where to start,” I wondered as I quickly framed my response.
I was happy to inform this caller that while he and his wife and all of their friends may think marriage should be redefined to include so-called “loving and committed” persons of the same sex, there were over 1.25 million citizens in Wisconsin who said in 2006 that they think marriage should be only between one man and one woman. Those people represented nearly 60% of the voters in that election—all of whom said they didn’t want marriage redefined in gender or in number and they weren’t interested in marriage by another name either.
Download/listen to the MP3 file
Pro-Family Group Defends the People, the Constitution, and Marriage in New Lawsuit
President and board members of Wisconsin Family Action file lawsuit asserting Gov. Doyle’s statewide, same-sex domestic partnership registry is unconstitutional
MADISON—Wednesday, Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action (WFA), together with WFA board members Jo Egelhoff, Jerry Hiller, Richard Kessenich and E. Lee Webster, through their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, filed a complaint with the Dane County Circuit Court, asking it to declare the statewide, same-sex only “domestic partner” registry unconstitutional. Governor Doyle approved the registry as a part of the state’s two-year budget last summer.
The plaintiffs and their attorneys believe the registry violates the Wisconsin Marriage Amendment approved by nearly 60 percent of Wisconsin voters in November 2006 by creating a legal status substantially similar to that of marriage in direct violation of the Wisconsin Constitution, Article 13, Section 13.
“Our system of government serves no purpose if our elected officials can completely and capriciously ignore the will of the people with impunity,” said Appling. “A reasonable person observing this registry would easily conclude that it is intended to mirror marriage. It borrows the requirements and eligibility standards for marriage, even to the point of requiring that the price of the registry certificate be the same as for a marriage license.”
“Politicians shouldn’t defy the will of voters who legitimately amended the Wisconsin Constitution in a fair election,” said ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum. “This domestic partnership scheme is precisely the type of marriage imitation that the constitutional amendment approved by Wisconsin voters was intended to prevent. Those who are determined to tamper with marriage in Wisconsin are attempting an end-run attack hoping they can evade the clear language of the state constitution.”
“Over 1.25 million voters legitimately amended the state constitution in a fair election. This registry is nothing more than political payback from Governor Doyle to those who helped him get re-elected in 2006 and a stealth attack on marriage by those who are determined to redefine marriage in the Badger State. The Governor and the legislators who approved the registry will not get a free pass for being obviously more concerned with advancing the agenda of a fringe activist group than representing the people who elected them,” noted Appling.
Plaintiffs are represented by Wisconsin ADF allied attorneys Richard M. Esenberg, Michael D. Dean with First Freedoms Foundation, and attorneys Austin Nimocks and Brian Raum with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is serving as lead counsel.
The complaint can be read here.
-30-
Wisconsin Family Action is a statewide, not-for-profit organization actively strengthening and preserving marriage, family, life and liberty in Wisconsin.
WFA PAC announces new endorsements!
Pro-Family PAC Announces New Endorsements for
State Assembly, Lt. Governor and Sheriff
Engaged Electorate
This week’s radio commentary…
Finally—some good news! Late last Friday night we learned that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had just issued a ruling saying that Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board (GAB) cannot implement or enforce the new rules they put in place August 1–rules that would infringe on the free speech rights of individual citizens and organizations during elections.
No GABbing Allowed!
This weeks’ radio commentary…
It’s something you might expect to find in an Orwellian novel or a communist state like China or a liberal state like New York. But here in the great state of Wisconsin? Never! Well, think again. On August 1, 2010 Wisconsin, which has been dabbling in election censorship for years, officially launched into a new world of restricting free speech during elections.
Six un-elected, retired judges – all appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle and approved by the State Senate– wield incredible power over Wisconsin’s election laws as the members for Wisconsin’s incongruously titled “Government Accountability Board,” or GAB. In the grand, and entirely un-American, tradition of philosopher-kings, these appointed judges exercise their apparently unquestionable judgment to create, administer and enforce Wisconsin’s election-related law.
Listen to/download the MP3 file
Learn more about GAB’s new rule
Vicki McKenna interviewed constitutional attorney Jim Troopis on Wednesday about this new rule. Listen to her show here: http://rockriverpatriots.com/2010/08/05/free-speech-under-attack-by-the-wisconsin-government-accountability-board/
JS Online story: http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/99893849.html
Your help needed now! Tell GAB to stop making free speech illegal!
We need your help, and we need it fast! Time is critical!
The unelected Government Accountability Board (GAB), comprised of 6 Doyle-appointed retired judges, is restricting free speech during elections. Attorneys tell us GAB’s new rules are breathtakingly sweeping and all-encompassing, affecting individuals and organizations such as Wisconsin Family Action and Wisconsin Family Council. By clicking on the petition link below, you will go to a page with more details about the new election “rules” and their potential affect on the organizations you rely on for information on candidates and issues as you prepare to vote.
We need to get thousands of signed petitions to the Government Accountability Board by the end of this week. The more we have the better! We must do all we can to protect our freedom of speech, especially at election time.
We urge you to do all of the following; but if you can’t, please at least sign the petition (item 1).
1) Click here to sign the petition to tell the Government Accountability Board (GAB) to stop criminalizing free speech (see below for more details).
2) Forward this email to every person in your email address book who lives in Wisconsin. Urge them to join you in signing the petition. This step is critical. The more petitions we have, the more impact and influence the petitions have.
3) Call Kevin Kennedy the director of the GAB at 608-266-8005 and politely tell him to use his influence with the GAB board to urge them to revoke the new rules in §1.28 that unconstitutionally restrict both individual and organizational free speech.
Thank you for once again stepping up and speaking up to let your government officials know they are out of line.
If you have questions, please call WIsconsin Family Action at 866-849-2536.
Click the link below to sign the petition:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/friwi/c2P8QfB4.aspx
Pro-Family PAC Announces New Endorsements for State Assembly and State Senate
Assembly District 35 – Jeremy Cordova
Assembly District 59 – Daniel LeMahieu
Assembly District 62 – Chris Wright
Assembly District 72 – John Lamb
Assembly District 99 – Don Pridemore
Senate District 21 – Van Wanggaard
Senate District 21 – Bob Gulan
Senate District 23 – Terry Moulton
Click here to read the press release…
Prop 8 ruling to be released today!
An email from Brian Brown, President of NOM
We received word late yesterday that Judge Walker will be releasing his opinion in the Prop 8 case online today between 1:00 and 3:00pm PT (4-6pm ET).We will post the ruling at Prop8case.com just as soon as it is available, and continue into the evening with all the latest Prop8 coverage and commentary. Based on the anticipated release schedule, I will plan to check in from the road on our Summer for Marriage tour with a video reaction to the ruling at 7pm ET, followed by a live chat.
Join us at Prop8case.com – your home for up-to-the-minute Prop8 coverage!
Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage
2029 K Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
bbrown@nationformarriage.org
Attack on marriages come to steps of State Capitol
This week’s radio commentary…
A very wise man once said, “As long as Marriage exists, Knowledge, Property and Influence will accumulate in Families.”
That man knew the importance of marriage and families to society. That man was John Adams, 1st Vice President and 2nd President of the United States, ambassador to France and England and mastermind of our Republican form of government.
For over two hundred years, strong families have been the hallmark of the United States. Until the last few decades, our society has promoted and bolstered that strong standard of the family, a married mother and father raising their children together.
WFA PAC endorses Walker and Neumann for governor!
Statewide Pro-Family PAC Endorses
Walker and Neumann for Governor
Madison—Today Wisconsin Family Action Political Action Committee (WFA PAC) announced the endorsement of two candidates for governor, Scott Walker and Mark Neumann. “We are proud to endorse Mark Neumann and Scott Walker for Wisconsin’s 2010 gubernatorial race,” said Julaine Appling, Director of the WFA PAC. “Both of these candidates have an incredibly strong history of standing for marriage, family, life and liberty. Wisconsin is in desperate need of a governor who will protect and promote our most valuable resource – the family – both personally and publicly. Walker and Neumann both fit that description, and we’re excited for this November and the opportunity for Wisconsin to elect a new governor. “We wish each of them the best as they campaign this summer and encourage people to support them and their campaigns.” -30- Authorized and paid for by Wisconsin Family Action PAC, Judith Brant, Treasurer. Not authorized by any candidate or by any candidate’s agent or committee. Click here for the PDF
Walker and Neumann for Governor
Madison—Today Wisconsin Family Action Political Action Committee (WFA PAC) announced the endorsement of two candidates for governor, Scott Walker and Mark Neumann. “We are proud to endorse Mark Neumann and Scott Walker for Wisconsin’s 2010 gubernatorial race,” said Julaine Appling, Director of the WFA PAC. “Both of these candidates have an incredibly strong history of standing for marriage, family, life and liberty. Wisconsin is in desperate need of a governor who will protect and promote our most valuable resource – the family – both personally and publicly. Walker and Neumann both fit that description, and we’re excited for this November and the opportunity for Wisconsin to elect a new governor. “We wish each of them the best as they campaign this summer and encourage people to support them and their campaigns.” -30- Authorized and paid for by Wisconsin Family Action PAC, Judith Brant, Treasurer. Not authorized by any candidate or by any candidate’s agent or committee. Click here for the PDF
Surviving the college experience
A little late, but here’s this week’s radio commentary. Things have been pretty busy around here!
The college experience. Today that phrase has come to mean for many, for all intents and purposes, four-plus years of debauchery, partying and the acquisition of liberal ideology, mounting debt, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, alcoholism, drug addiction and – allegedly – some level of academic education.
It can certainly be a treacherous path for the Christian student to traverse. Their professors and peers expect them to conform – and if they don’t – label them, marginalize them and stigmatize them as unintelligent, bigoted, and narrow-minded, for starters.
Julaine’s speech at the marriage rally
Listen to Julaine’s speech yesterday at the Madison Marriage Rally co-sponsored by National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and Wisconsin Family Action.
You can still hear Julaine, despite the counter-rally of rather loud homosexual activists.
Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) spoke to the purpose behind the counter-rally.
Video from Marriage Rally Today!
Watch Randy Melchert’s video from the marriage rally today at the State Capitol. Wisconsin Family Action cosponsored the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) rally today.
Rally for Marriage Tomorrow at State Capitol!
Violating Marriage, the Constitution & the Will of the People
Read Julaine’s Sunday guest column in the Green Bay Press Gazette
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107250656
Protecting Marriage is Irrational?
This week’s radio commentary…
Your values are irrational. That’s what U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro said in a ruling handed down on July 8th, declaring the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, unconstitutional. For the purposes of the federal government, DOMA protects and preserves the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
In his atrocious ruling, Judge Tauro said that DOMA has no rational basis. In other words, no rational human being would say that there is a reason to preserve the traditional definition of marriage in federal statute. Tauro’s opinion claims there is no “rational relationship” between protecting marriage and a government objective.