State to pay $1.1 million to ACLU for gay marriage battle

[riversedge]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel


State to pay $1.1 million to ACLU for gay marriage battle
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By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: 6:33 p.m.

(40) Comments

Madison — The state of Wisconsin's unsuccessful court battle to prevent gay marriage will cost taxpayers more than $1 million, under an agreement released Friday.

State Attorney General Brad Schimel, a Republican, and attorneys for eight gay and lesbian couples reached the agreement after the couples successfully sued to overturn the state's 2006 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

The couples were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought $1.25 million to cover its costs because the couples prevailed in their lawsuit. Ultimately, the ACLU will receive nearly $1.1 million, under the stipulation released Friday.

Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia who believes bans like Wisconsin's are unconstitutional, said that he wasn't surprised at the cost to state taxpayers and that it could have been worse. Gov. Scott Walker, one of the defendants, and then Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, both Republicans, opposed the same-sex plaintiffs at every level of the federal court system, he said.

"The state never seemed to appreciate how much taxpayer money is expended on this type of litigation in which it was pretty clear from the outset that Wisconsin was going to lose," Tobias said. .....

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/state-to-pay-1-million-to-aclu-for-gay-marriage-battle-b99470453z1-297841361.html

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Friiday news dump of wasteful taxpayer $$




Wisconsin Taxpayers to pay $1.1 million to ACLU for gay marriage Scott Walker battle http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/state-to-pay-1-million-to-aclu-for-gay-marriage-battle-b99470453z1-297841361.html … #wipolitics #uniteblue

[the_sly_pig]

1. Gov. Sh** Talker is a moran.

[Jim Lane]

2. How can you say it was a waste of taxpayer money?

Governor Walker has helped to fund the work of the ACLU, which can now use that money to support lawsuits against other depredations of his.

It's a very good use of taxpayer money!

[LiberalFighter]

3. But how much of it is available after all of the expenses

and wages paid out?

[Gothmog]

4. This is great news

[riversedge]

6. What is so great about taxpayers footing the bill to a tune of $1.1 Million when we

are broke and services and school aid is being cut.

[tblue37]

5. About this point:

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"The state never seemed to appreciate how much taxpayer money is expended on this type of litigation in which it was pretty clear from the outset that Wisconsin was going to lose," Tobias said. ....

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Those who force the court battles don't care what it costs the taxpayers. Even when the state loses the lawsuit, the politicians involved get political points to further their own career, and since the taxpayer foots the bill, it's a win-win for the cynical Republican politician. I'm sure Walker is grateful for that million-dollar taxpayer contribution to his political campaign.

I wish someone would find a way to get the RW base to understand how much money it costs them to enjoy the spectacle of cynical politicians fighting hopeless lawsuits, shutting down the government in pursuit of quixotic goals, voting dozens of times to repeal Obamacare, running multiple fishing expeditions in a futile attempt to prove that Hillary Clinton did something blameworthy that caused Benghazi, or that Obama didn't call it terrorism.

At the same time they are wasting gazillions of dollars on such pointless political theater (though, of course, it is not pointless for the Republican politicians who delight their base with such nonsense), the officeholders are being very well paid to avoid any semblance of doing the jobs they are paid to do.

[riversedge]

7. I do not

know the answer. As long as it is a win-win for lawmakers and the taxpayer pays--they will continue.

[Zorra]

8. How many more millions of dollars will the christofascists cost the American people

in their disgusting special interest religious crusade to unconstitutionally legislate their hatred for LGBT persons?