LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 8, 2005 - 3

ON CAMPUS
Brown professor to
lecture on canards
Brown University Prof. Rose Rosen-
gard Subotnik, author of the books
"Developing Variations" and "Decon-
structive Variations" will speak tonight.
Her lecture titled, "Did Tin Pan Alley
Make Faulty Equipment for Living?
Confronting some Old Critical Canards"
will start at 5 p.m. in room 506 of the
Burton Memorial Tower. The free event
is sponsored by the School of Music.
Holocaust survivor
to speak at Angell
Hall
Retired Yale University professor
and Holocaust survivor Geoffrey Hart-
man will lecture today at 12:15 p.m. in
room 3222 of Angell Hall on preserv-
ing Holocaust testimonies. Hartman is
a participant in the Holocaust Survivors
Film Project and is director of the For-
tunoff Video Archive. There is no cost
to attend.
School of Music
te sponsor play
The School of Music is sponsoring
the play "The Hot L Baltimore." The
performance is tonight at 8 p.m. in
the Trueblood Theater located in the
Frieze Building. Andrea Frye directs
the play that is about the lives of
people staying in a run-down hotel.
CRIME
NOTES
Baseball breaks
windshield
A subject reported to the Depart-
ment of Public Safety Wednesday that
his windshield had been broken when a
stray baseball hit it. A report was filed
Wallet lost at Union
A caller reported to DPS Wednesday
that he last used his wallet at the food
court area in the Michigan Union and
now does not know where it is.
Drunk man throws
bottles at vehicles
Officers observed an intoxicated male
throwing bottles at vehicles as he was
walking down Madison Street Thurs-
day morning. The subject was arrested
and later released pending a warrant
authorization.
THIS DAY
In Daily History
April 8, 1991 - The University has
threatened to take legal action against
GEO after its work stoppage on April 4.
GEO recieved a letter from the Uni-

versity explaining why legal action might
be an option 'U' negotiators take. The
letter took into consideration a clause in
a University and GEO agreement, which
expired April 5, stating: "The union will
not cause, insitigate support or encour-
age, nor shall any employee take part in
any concerted action against or any con-
certed interference with the operations
of the University."
CORRECTIONS
An article on Page 1 of yesterday's
edition of the Daily misspelled the
names of MSA President Jesse Levine
and former MSA President Jason
Mironov.
Page 2B of yesterday's edition of the
Daily should have said that the cover
art was done by Alexander Dziadosz.
A quote on Page 7B of yesterday's
edition of the Daily should have
attributed a quote to Jason Voss.
The caption of a photo on page 12B of
yesterday's edition of the Daily should
have said Heather Bodell plays her
guitar.
A anite in an article on na2pe 1 of

Citizens continue attacks on Proposal 2

LANSING (AP) - When Alexandra Stern
took a job with the University three years ago,
a key factor in her decision was the school's
domestic partnership policy, which provides
health insurance for her partner, Terri Koreck.
Koreck, a cancer survivor, gave up a job and
her benefits to move with Stern from California.
She went back to school for a nursing degree -
knowing her medical, dental and vision costs
would be covered under Stern's plan.
"I regard health benefits as very important
for feeling safe and remaining healthy," said
Koreck, 49. "I need that peace of mind for
obvious reasons."
Recent developments in Michigan, how-
ever, have put at risk the benefits of Koreck
and other gays whose partners work for cities,
counties, universities and public schools.
The state attorney general issued a legal
opinion last month saying cities cannot offer
same-sex benefits in future contracts because
it would violate Michigan's constitutional gay
marriage ban known as Proposal 2. Voters
approved the ballot issue in November.
Stern and Koreck - along with 20 other
couples - sued the state days after the attor-
ney general's opinion.
"We have to do something," Stern said this week.
In a separate case, a Christian legal group
this week cited Proposal 2 when asking the
state appeals court to prevent the Ann Arbor

Public Schools from providing domestic part-
ner benefits.
"It's very disempowering to see certain
constituencies take away the modicum of
rights and benefits we have," said Stern, a 39-
year-old medical historian. "We like Michi-
gan. We'd like to stay here. We want it to be
a welcoming place, or at least not an overtly
hostile place."
Numerous questions will be considered as
the hot-button issue winds its way through the
courts, but the outcome ultimately could hinge
on six words. Proposal 2 recognizes only the
union between a man and a woman as a mar-
riage "or similar union for any purpose."
What does that mean? Or perhaps just as
significantly, what did voters think it meant?
Republican Attorney General Mike Cox
interpreted the amendment's broad language
to mean that a city such as Kalamazoo, by
designating gay partners to receive the same
health and retirement benefits as spouses,
gives domestic partnerships a marriage-like
status. Proposal 2, he said, prohibits the
acknowledgment of same-sex and unmarried
opposite-sex relationships.
Patrick Gillen, an attorney for the Thomas
More Law Center in Ann Arbor, agrees with
Cox's interpretation.
"It means what it says," Gillen said. "It's simple
and straightforward. Certainly after Proposal 2,

it's very clear Michigan does not intend to recog-
nize same-sex domestic partnerships."
But public employers and labor unions -
along with gay and civil rights groups - say
providing benefits to domestic partners in no
way recognizes a marriage-like relationship.
Jay Kaplan, an attorney for the American
Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said when
gays and lesbians receive benefits, they're not
trying to assume legal marital status or any of
the rights and responsibilities the union pro-
vides. They simply want to receive a privilege
of employment, he said.
Likewise, Kaplan said, many public employ-
ers consider it a competitive advantage to pro-
vide equal compensation as a way to recruit
and retain gay employees.
The "similar union" debate is tricky for
couples like Stern and Koreck, who have been
together almost 10 years. Stern said they're just
as committed as any married couple, own a
home in Ann Arbor and could legally marry or
form a civil union if they lived in Massachusetts
or Vermont. They hope to adopt children.
But Stern is adamant their relationship is not like
a marriage in the context of a labor agreement.
"I don't see how any reasonable person can
see that getting health benefits through a uni-
versity is like a marriage," she said.
The courts eventually will determine the meaning of
"similar union" and may look to voter intent to do so.

Here again, both sides differ.
Cox said it was evident to voters that ben-
efits were an issue and might be eliminated
if the measure passed. The benefits question
was at the forefront of public debate as voters
prepared to go to the polls, he wrote.
But Proposal 2 detractors say supporters
consistently stated their goal before the elec-
tion: to define and strengthen marriage, not to
deny benefits.
The public comments and pamphlets are
crucial because the amendment's drafters
knew the intent better than others, said Bruce
Miller, a longtime labor union attorney.
"If I propose language, my intent in pro-
posing that language may be binding if it's
expressed and you accept it based on what
I've told you," he said.
Proposal 2 backers say the attorney gen-
eral's opinion validated what they said both
before and after the election.
"Public employees involved in homosexual
relationships can certainly receive benefits
if they are part of a broader benefits offer-
ing," said Gary Glenn, president of the Mid-
land-based American Family Association of
Michigan.
"What public employers cannot do is single
out only employees involved in homosexual
relationships for special treatment as if their
relationship is equal or similar to marriage."

Rogers will not
run for Senate

GOP says top-notch'
candidate will soon emerge
to take on Stabenow for
Senate seat in 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep.
Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) said
yerterday he has ruled out a bid for
U.S. Senate in 2006 and a potential
matchup against Democratic Sen.
Debbie Stabenow.
Rogers, who first was elected to
Congress in 2000, said a Senate race
would hurt his ability to focus on
his work on the House Intelligence
Committee and a House panel deal-
ing with trade issues.
"Right now, I'm in a great posi-
tion, I think, to make a great impact,"
Rogers said in an interview.
Rogers had been mentioned as a
possible Republican challenger to
Stabenow, who narrowly defeated
Republican Sen. Spencer Abraham
in 2000.
Troy industrial engineer Bart
Baron has said he will seek the
GOP nomination and other potential
Stabenow opponents include Jane
Abraham, the wife of the former
U.S. senator and Energy secretary,
and the Rev. Keith Butler of South-
field.
Rogers, a former FBI special
agent who also served in the state
Senate, has been active in anti-ter-
rorism measures and recently visit-

ed Afghanistan and Pakistan during
a congressional recess.
He also was named vice chairman
of a House subcommittee that con-
siders trade issues, a crucial subject
for the state's automotive industry.
Rogers said diving into a Senate
race would require a major fund-
raising effort and divert his atten-
tion from his work in the House.
"It would be very hard for me to
trade all that in. You would basical-
ly have to run for two years," Rogers
said.
"The day you say, 'I'm running,' it
would be 7 days a week and at least
18 hour days if you want to win,"
Rogers said.
Dave Lemmon, a Stabenow
spokesman, said the senator was
"very focused on getting the job
done for the people of Michigan."
"There is important work ahead
on many critical issues - stopping
Canadian trash, preserving Social
Security, lowering drug prices by
allowing the safe reimportation
of prescription drugs and creating
good paying jobs," Lemmon said.
"She looks forward to continuing
to lead the fight on these important
issues."
State GOP spokesman Nate Bai-
ley said the party would field a for-
midable candidate next year.
"With a senator as vulnerable as
Debbie Stabenow, there's no doubt
that a top-notch candidate will
emerge," he said.

LSA sophomore Noora Ai-Sindi, right, applies henna on LSA junior Shin
Diag activity put on by the Arab International Student Association.


CME WRITE FOR THE MICHIGAN DAILY,
CAL 763-459,
OR VISIT
420 MAYNARD ST.
:.:~

I