Senator Michele Bachmann, Katherine Kersten, the Minnesota Family Council and their ilk couldn't care less if Susan Herlofson dies. As reported in today's Star Tribune, Herlofson has stage 4 breast cancer. She and her partner Pat Ferrian believe she wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for health insurance provided by Ferrian's employer, the University of Minnesota.
If the state constitution is amended to prohibit state recognition of same-sex marriages or their 'legal equivalent', then the U of M would likely be forced to stopped providing domestic partner health benefits to Susan Herlofson and others like her.
Bachmann denies that her consitutional amendment will result in women like Susan Herlofson losing access to health care. But that is exactly what will happen once government is prohibited from extending marriage-like rights to non-married families. After all, the 'legal equivalent' language is in the proposed amendment wording specifically to deny such rights. It serves no other purpose. It is happening now in Michigan, where an amendment passed in 2004: the University of Michigan is now barred from offering domestic partnership benefits to new employees.
The effect of so-called 'pro-family' activism by the religious right, as always, will be the erosion of rights and protections for any family that doesn't conform to the stereotype. The amendment favored by Bachman, Kersten and others, worded so broadly as it is, would create a legal vacuum that will quickly be filled by litigation to test its effects and reach.
If the amendment passes, its real implications will be decided by the courts, not by the legislature and certainly not by the citizens of Minnesota. So "let the people decide" really means "deceive the people, tie the government's hands and let conservative judges decide."
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