The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 7-0 Wednesday to uphold the state’s constitutional ban on same sex marriage and civil unions, saying the 2006 constitutional amendment was properly put to voters in a statewide referendum.
According to Milwaukee Public Radio:
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Professor William McConkey filed suit in Dane County Circuit Court seeking to have the marriage amendment declared invalid because the amendment consisted of two questions that could have reached different results had they been asked separately: whether to ban gay marriage, and whether to ban civil unions.
Polling at the time reportedly showed much greater support for civil unions.
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McConkey alleged the referendum’s wording that included the phrases gay marriage and civil unions violated the single subject rule set forth in the state constitution. He says he’s disappointed and angry with the high court’s ruling.
Justice Michael Gabelman says both sentences included in the amendment, “carry out the same general purpose of preserving the legal status of marriage in Wisconsin as between one man and one woman.”
