|
|
Scott Walker on Civil Rights |
A: Wisconsin has a law that prohibits discrimination in the workplace. I have enforced that, I'll push for enforcing laws like that all across the country. And when it comes to women's health care. We took money out of the hands of Planned Parenthood, and put it into noncontroversial areas to provide for women's health.
WALKER: I think the most important thing we can do when it comes to policing--it's something you've had a guest on who's a friend of mine, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clark, who's talked to me about this many times in the past--it's about training. It's about making sure that law enforcement professionals, not only in the way in to their positions but all the way through their time, have the proper training, particularly when it comes to the use of force. And that we protect and stand up and support those men and women who are doing their jobs in law enforcement. And for the very few that don't, that there are consequences to show that we treat everyone the same here in America.
In 2013, Walker argued that Republicans, to win back the White House, must not become distracted from a focus on fiscal issues. Asked about same-sex marriage, he said, "I don't talk about it at all."
Last fall, after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal to preserve Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage, Walker conceded, "For us, it's over in Wisconsin." During the meeting with Iowa Christian conservative leaders last month, when the same issue arose, he struck a different posture. One attendee reported that Walker said the issue is not settled.
Many conservative GOP candidates slammed the Supreme Court's rulings--Cruz vowed to introduce a constitutional amendment that would prevent federal courts or government from voiding state laws on marriage--but others considered the more strategic implications.
Walker, who is in a tough re-election battle, declared after the court's ruling that the fight to prevent same-sex marriage was "over in Wisconsin."
Tonight, I am pleased to announce the start of a year-long initiative called A Better Bottom Line--it's about employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Make no mistake, A Better Bottom Line is not about charity. A Better Bottom Line means helping both the individual and the company do well. We are looking for ways to help employers hire people who will add value to their organizations.
A few might say these individuals have disabilities, but I want to talk about their unique abilities in the workplace. In 2014, I will highlight employers, who find the unique abilities and hire people with disabilities.
A: In our state, it was in the constitution years ago [protecting homosexual civil rights, but not gay marriage]. It rarely is an issue.
Q: But you've said it's generational.
A: I think it is.
Q: Are younger conservatives more apt to see marriage equality as something that is what they believe, rather than as a disqualifying issue?
A: No doubt about that. But that's all the more reason, to talk about the economic crisis. People don't want to get focused on [gay marriage] issues.
Q: Do gays have the right to follow their love?
A: On the generational standpoint, I've had young people ask me about [not just] expanding it to include folks who are not one man and one woman, but rather questioning why the government's sanctioning it in the first place? And that would be the alternative, say not have the government sanction marriage, period. And leave that up to the churches and the synagogues and others to define that
The State Legislature is currently deliberating this issue, and I strongly urge them to pass the constitutional amendment defining a marriage as a commitment between one man and one woman. Then, it will be up to the voters to say what defines a marriage in Wisconsin.
Current law in Wisconsin already defines marriage as between a husband and a wife. Because the courts in other states have broaden the definition of marriage, the constitutional amendment makes it clear that the only marriages recognized in Wisconsin are between one man and one woman.
State law in Wisconsin also prohibits marriage if either person has a living husband or wife or if the people attempting to get married are under a particular age. In other words, state law already regulates who can and who cannot get married in Wisconsin.