(Madison, Wisconsin) Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) is proposing a domestic partner registry for same-sex couples throughout the state and extending health benefits to the partners of state employees.

It would require counties to allow same-sex couples to register their relationships. Once registered partners would have the right to visit significant others in hospital and make medical decisions if the partners were unable to do so themselves.  It would allow partners to make end of life decisions, inherit property and have the same pension rights as married couples.

Madison and Dane counties already have registries.

“It is also time to make sure our state takes some basic steps towards fairness and decency,” the governor said in presenting the budget.

Of his plan to include health insurance for the partners of state employees Doyle said. “I don’t want the state to be less competitive at our university and other institutions because we don’t treat people fairly.” 

Democrats control the legislature and both the partner registry and the benefits plan have the support of leaders in the House and Senate.  But Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan warned it won’t be easy getting the measures passed.

“There will be a lot of debate going back and forth on that issue,” Sheridan told WMTV. “This is the first day of a thousand mile journey and I think we’ll be taking a close look at that.”

In 2006, Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen said his office will study the wording in Doyle’s proposals to be sure they do not violate the amendment.

“There are an awful lot of areas of the law where there’s room for movement, and an awful lot of others areas of the law where there’s room to overstep.”

Rep. Mark Pocan (D), one of two openly gay state lawmakers, told WMTV he is not worried. “It said you couldn’t have something that was marriage or substantially similar. Having a simple domestic partnership entity created that provides hospital visitation and end of life disposal remains is hardly an equal balance. I think it will be just fine where it’s at.”

LGBT rights group Fair Wisconsin hailed the Doyle proposals.

“This is an important step toward ensuring that someone in a committed relationship is able to care for his or her partner,” said Glenn Carlson, Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin.  

“No one should ever have to worry about being blocked at their partner’s hospital room door, or have to make the heartbreaking decision to quit their job in order to care for a seriously ill partner.  This isn’t about being gay or straight-it’s about being decent.”