Inside Higher Ed: A news release Monday from the Alliance Defense Fund, which backs the rights of religious students nationally and in this case, said that the court had found that the university "cannot deny funding to Catholic student group." . . . The statement from the Alliance Defense Fund, which sued Madison, praised the appeals court's ruling. "The constitutional rights of Christian student organizations should be recognized by university officials just as they recognize those rights for other student groups,” said Jordan Lorence, senior counsel. "The university funded the advocacy and expression of other student organizations but singled out Badger Catholic for exclusion based purely upon its viewpoint. The Seventh Circuit rightly regarded this as unconstitutional."

Inside Higher Ed: "The 2-1 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit was a significant win for Badger Catholic, which has been involved in years of debate with the university over which of its activities are eligible to receive student fees. The ruling was in part based on a series of Supreme Court decisions that have upheld the use of public funds for the activities of religious groups . . . A news release Monday from the Alliance Defense Fund, which backs the rights of religious students nationally and in this case, said that the court had found that the university 'cannot deny funding to Catholic student group.'"

WisPolitics.com (reprints entire ADF press release): "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled Wednesday that University of Wisconsin-Madison officials violated the First Amendment by refusing to fund events of a student Catholic organization while providing funding for the events of other student organizations . . . "

"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled Wednesday that University of Wisconsin-Madison officials violated the First Amendment by refusing to fund events of a student Catholic organization while providing funding for the events of other student organizations."

"A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's ruling that the University of Wisconsin-Madison must pay for student activities involving prayer, worship and proselytizing."

Green Bay Press Gazette: "A longtime truck driver has become the first city of Green Bay employee to request health insurance coverage for a domestic partner. The request could prompt a policy change making Green Bay the first municipality in Northeastern Wisconsin to provide benefits for employees' same-sex partners."

Associated Press: "Massachusetts, Delaware and Rhode Island were granted waivers Friday to ignore a new federal law meant to protect the voting rights of deployed troops and other Americans overseas, while Wisconsin was denied in its request . . . Not getting the waiver calls into question how Wisconsin will comply with deadlines that election officials have said can't be met."

OneNewsNow: "Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is representing Wisconsin Family Action in a lawsuit against the state over the definition of marriage . . . 'Even though the people of Wisconsin clearly defined marriage in their state constitution as the union of one man and one woman, the state legislature has implemented a "domestic partnership" scheme that seeks to undermine that marriage amendment,' explains ADF attorney [Jim Campbell]."

La Crosse Tribune: "A U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of the city of La Crosse against a local church seeking to recover $4,000 in property taxes . . . Asbury argued in a lawsuit filed last summer it was wrongly taxed while transitioning its neighboring tax-exempt parsonage to a tax-exempt hospitality house." | Asbury United Methodist Church v. City of La Crosse, No. 09-cv-617-wmc (W.D. Wisc., Aug. 23, 2010)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Supporters of Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions are seeking for the second time to have the state's domestic partnership registry declared unconstitutional . . . The plaintiffs, who are being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, argue that they're harmed by the registry because it costs taxpayer money to administer."

LaCrosse Tribune: "A social conservative group filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Wisconsin’s domestic partner registry, arguing it is a violation of the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The lawsuit filed in Dane County Circuit Court by members of Wisconsin Family Action contends the registry creates a legal status substantially similar to that of marriage."

On Top Mag: "In filing its challenge to Wisconsin's domestic partnership law, a group opposed to gay rights claims it's too similar to marriage . . . WFA had also supported passage of the anti-gay marriage amendment as the Family Research Institute. It is being represented by the Christian-based Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). ADF lawyers are also defending California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, in federal court."

Juneau County Star Times: "The controversial bill, signed into law by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle in February, requires schools that choose to teach human growth and development education provide students with a comprehensive curriculum - one that includes contraceptive devices and sexually transmitted diseases."

Wall Street Journal: "Wisconsin is pushing to expand a controversial program that uses federal Medicaid funds to provide free birth-control pills, vasectomies and other forms of contraception to low-income people, an effort made possible by the federal health-care overhaul . . . Where funding previously was conditional and states had to reapply regularly, a provision in the health-care law allows states to make their plans permanent and get federal funding faster. Wisconsin applied in June to raise the qualifying limit to $32,490—a move that would expand the program's reach."

OneNewsNow: "A teachers union in Milwaukee is suing over health insurance coverage of Viagra and other sexual performance-enhancing drugs, claiming that excluding the medication from insurance benefits discriminates against male employees."

Green Bay Press Gazette: "After a sharp debate about religious freedom, the Green Bay City Council agreed Tuesday to allow a mosque in a former bait-and-tackle shop on Velp Avenue."

"Alliance Defense Fund attorneys together with allied attorneys representing Wisconsin Family Action officers and board members filed suit in state court Wednesday to stop the governor and state legislature from skirting a voter-approved constitutional amendment protecting marriage."

Associated Press: "Father Luke Strand at the Holy Family Parish in Fond Du Lac says he has received a cease-and-desist letter from the electronics retailer. At issue is Strand's black Volkswagen Beetle with door stickers bearing the name 'God Squad' in a logo similar to that of Best Buy's Geek Squad, a group of electronics troubleshooters." | See the photo here.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Thousands of Catholic Church employees in Wisconsin are now eligible for birth control coverage through their health insurance plans, under the budget bill passed by the Legislature last year. But because the church considers artificial contraception 'gravely immoral,' at least some of those workers - including non-Catholics - could face sanctions, even termination, if they use it, one church official said Wednesday."

Rasmussen: "The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters shows Johnson with 47% support and Feingold picking up 46% of the vote. Two percent (2%) prefer another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided."