Court upholds Wisconsin domestic partner registry

[Geee]

Fox6 Milwaukee:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld as constitutional a 2009 law creating a domestic partner registry that provides limited benefits to same-sex couples.

 

Thursday’s ruling keeps the registry active but is likely to be overshadowed by a pending gay marriage case. A federal judge declared Wisconsin’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional last month, and the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals plans to hear arguments in the state’s appeal on Aug. 26.

 

Thursday’s decision comes in a lawsuit filed by Julaine Appling, the head of the conservative group Wisconsin Family Action. Appling claimed the registry violated the state’s gay marriage ban.

 

Both Gov. Scott Walker and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen refused to defend the law, which they also said violated the state constitution.

[Draggingtree]

Lyle Denniston Reporter

Posted Fri, August 8th, 2014 1:30 pm

 

Virginia joins in urging same-sex marriage review

Arguing that Virginia has gone further than most states to deny same-sex couples a chance to marry and the benefits of marriage, the state’s top legal officials urged the Supreme Court on Friday to take their case as “an excellent vehicle to resolve the controversy.” Those officials support marriage for gays and lesbians, but are continuing to enforce their state’s ban while the issue goes through the courts.

 

This new petition is the third this week to reach the Court after thirteen months of lower court rulings, all of which so far have struck down state bans on same-sex marriages or bans on recognition of existing same-sex marriages. The Court is expected to receive more appeals on the issue in coming days and weeks, likely giving the Justices a chance to select one or more cases soon after they return in September from their summer recess. snip

There is a live legal controversy in the Virginia case, the petition added, because two county clerks have been defending the state ban in court, and state law gives them the right to do so.

 

http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/08/virginia-joins-in-urging-same-sex-marriage-review/