Students from the UW-Madison campus will gather on Library Mall Wednesday to participate in the Day of Action for the passing of domestic partner benefits in the state budget.
Officials from the Associated Students of Madison will help host the event along with members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Domestic Partner Benefits. ASM announced their interest and involvement in a February Student Council Meeting.
This is a great way for students to learn about an important issue on campus,"" Chris Tiernen, chair of the ASM Academic Affairs Committee, said in a statement.""This is an opportunity for students to participate in government at the state level.""
The Day of Action comes after Gov. Jim Doyle's biennial budget proposal in February, which included domestic partner benefits. According to state officials, the benefits have been proposed in the past but dropped by the Joint Finance Committee.
UW-Madison is currently the only Big Ten school that does not provide domestic partner benefits. According to a coalition release, the UW System has been unable to recruit and retain faculty members because of the lack of domestic partner benefits.
Students who choose to participate in the event will have the chance to call or e-mail their representatives using cell phones and computers.
The event will take place in Library Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Erin Banco
