Six lesbian state employees backed by the American Civil Liberties...

MADISON, Wis. - Six lesbian state employees backed by the American Civil Liberties Union went to court, saying Wisconsin's refusal to provide health insurance for their partners violates the state constitution.



If successful, their lawsuit would force all state government agencies to offer gay state employees the same health insurance and family leave benefits to their partners that are currently provided to married workers.



The lawsuit filed Wednesday claims a state law excluding gay partners of state employees from health benefits violates the Wisconsin Constitution's equal-rights protection clause, which guarantees equal treatment for people in similar situations.



"It is unfair that these people who work as hard as their neighbor in the next cubicle, the teacher in the next classroom, are not able to share in the kind of benefits that their co-workers share in," said Larry Dupuis, legal director of ACLU of Wisconsin.



The lawsuit comes one month after Republican lawmakers expressed their opposition to a call from the governor to provide domestic partner benefits to employees of the University of Wisconsin System.



Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, accused the ACLU of trying to legislate its agenda through the court system.



"This is not an issue that should be decided by one liberal judge in Madison," Gard said Wednesday in a statement. "This is an issue that the taxpayers of the state of Wisconsin should get to decide through their elected representatives."