Wis. Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

In a Wednesday decision, the Wisconsin supreme court upheld the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions. The high court ruled 7-0 that a 2006 constitutional amendment was properly put to voters in a statewide referendum.

According to the Associated Press, "The court rejected a lawsuit that claimed the amendment violated a rule that limits referendum questions to a single subject. The lawsuit, filed by a voter opposed to the amendment, argued that gay marriage and civil unions were two different subjects."

The AP reports that "Justice Michael Gableman says both sentences 'carry out the same general purpose of preserving the legal status of marriage in Wisconsin as between only one man and one woman.'"

Wisconsin congresswoman Tammy Baldwin issued the following statement on the state supreme court's decision:

"Like many Wisconsinites, I am disappointed in the substantive effect of today's Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in the case of McConkey v. J.B. Van Hollen, et al. The ballot initiative that spurred this case was more a matter of politics than principle.

"Regrettably, Wisconsinites, including many LGBT families, must live with a state constitution that enshrines discrimination.

"While the effect of this ruling is a setback in our effort to repeal the discriminatory constitutional amendment banning marriage equality and civil unions, we will continue our quest for equality."