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Group: Marriage ban would hurt economyJenny Price
proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage and civil unions is doing more than trying to convince voters the proposal is unfair or discriminatory, it's also arguing the measure would hurt the state's economy. Fair Wisconsin is banking that more people will vote "no" on Nov. 7 if they learn about the potential economic impact the ban could have on the state. The group, which has raised more than $1 million, is reaching out to business leaders in hopes of recruiting some influential voices to argue that approving the measure would be bad for the state's image and its economic climate. Fair Wisconsin might find some willing ears in the business community; more than half of Fortune 500 companies offer workers domestic partner health insurance benefits, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In the Capital Region, members of Downtown Madison Inc. recently voted to oppose the proposed amendment. The group, which promotes the city's Downtown, believes the ban would hurt the local economy and Madison's reputation for diversity. "Many business leaders have been expressing concerns to us about the economic impact of the civil unions and marriage ban," said Mike Tate, Fair Wisconsin's campaign director. "It's important to elevate these voices because they have a different perspective than others who have been speaking out: the perspective that the ban is wrong from a purely economic viewpoint." So far, no state has defeated a gay marriage ban. A recent poll conducted by WisPolitics.com found Wisconsin residents evenly divided on the amendment. Wisconsin law already outlaws marriage other than that between a man and woman but amendment supporters fear a court could step in and open the door to same-sex marriage. The amendment's opponents argue it would jeopardize legal protections for all unmarried couples, gay or straight, including domestic partner benefits. "This kind of far-reaching ban will brand Wisconsin in a negative light in the national and even international marketplace," Tate said. "It will impede efforts to attract new business and accelerate the brain drain." But the 19 states that have passed similar amendments have done so within the last few years, so there's not a lot of hard evidence available on what effect, if any, there has been on business climate. Still, Fair Wisconsin and others argue that passing the amendment could put Wisconsin at a competitive disadvantage compared to neighbors Illinois and Minnesota when it comes to attracting workers or businesses. Neither state has put constitutional amendments banning gay marriage or civil unions before voters. Henry Sanders Jr., founder and president of MAGNET, a group that tries to attract and keep talent in Madison, said younger workers often look first for a place to live, and second for a job. "Madison wants to compete with Chicago, wants to compete with Minneapolis. We're competing with these cities. We can't have legislation that says this certain sector of the community is not wanted," Sanders said. "The business folks that I talk to understand that this is an issue because when more people come to their city or their region that means that the tax base goes up. That means they have more people shop at their stores." Jenny Price is a Madison freelance writer. She can be reached at jenny.price@gmail.com. jenny.price@gmail.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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