Madison, Wis., Jul 3, 2010 / 17:07 pm
A lawsuit challenging a Wisconsin constitutional amendment which protected the definition of marriage failed to persuade the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which unanimously rejected its arguments. Supporters of the amendment said the challenge was “baseless.”
The suit had challenged the amendment on the grounds it violated a Wisconsin requirement that amendments deal with only one issue. In a 7-0 opinion issued Wednesday, the court judged that the two propositions contained in the amendment’s text “plainly relate to the subject of marriage.”
More than 59 percent of Wisconsin voters approved the amendment in November 2006, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) reports in a June 30 press release. University of Wisconsin professor William McConkey filed suit in July 2007.
The ADF filed an amicus brief in the case. Its litigation counsel Jim Campbell said in a statement that voters adopted the measure “for one clear and simple reason: to protect the institution of marriage.”