NEWS RELEASE
MADISON — The Family Research Institute of Wisconsin issued the following statement regarding the Madison Common Council’s announcement that it will likely vote next Tuesday on a measure to allow city officials to protest Wisconsin’s Marriage Protection Amendment when taking the oath of office.
“The idea that the City of Madison would allow those elected to public office or those serving on city boards or commissions to pick and choose which parts of the state constitution they’ll vow to support and defend flies in the face of the very foundations of our democratic society. Our state constitution and other laws make it very clear that officials taking such an oath of office are to swear to uphold the Wisconsin constitution. There’s no provision anywhere that says you can ignore or protest in an oath the provisions of the constitution with which you disagree,” said Julaine Appling, CEO of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin.
“This is a textbook example of city government completely overstepping its role,” Appling said. “Injecting personal politics into the swearing-in would establish a dangerous precedent and the notion itself damages the separation of powers in our democratic system.”
Last November, nearly 1.3 million Wisconsinites, on a 59 to 41 percent margin, voted to pass the Wisconsin Marriage Protection Amendment.
“The council’s proposed measure is a slap in the face to the thousands of Madison residents who support traditional marriage and voted in favor of the amendment—citizens these officials are supposedly desiring to serve and who expect their government officials to uphold the entire constitution and obey the law,” Appling said. “The people of this state have spoken on this marriage amendment—period. It’s the job of public officials to uphold what the people have voted on. When the Common Council can choose which laws it approves or disapproves of, the people are the ones who lose out. Public officials and appointees have no right to say they will support only certain aspects of the constitution and ignore others.”
The Family Research Institute (FRI) is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization committed to serving Wisconsin’s citizens, churches and policymakers by informing, inspiring and involving each group in strengthening and preserving marriage, family, life and liberty in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.fri-wi.org or call 1-888-378-7395