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On Thursday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided to uphold a 2009 law that establishes a same-sex registry for couples. The court said that the registry does not violate an amendment to the constitutional ban of gay marriage, according to Reuters.
Same-Sex couples are given the right to hospital visits, health benefits under a partner’s insurance, family medical leave to care for a sick partner and right to inherit assets when a partner dies with the registry.
The ban on gay marriage in Wisconsin was approved by voters back in 2006. The court said that the ban does not include a ban on rights for same-sex couples.
Democratic Governor Jim Doyle created the registry in 2009 and there are more than 2,000 couples on it already.
In a lawsuit filed in 2010 by Wisconsin Family Action, the registry violates the amendment because it resembles marriage under the law of the state.
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The decision by the Wisconsin court was hailed by Lambda Legal, which said the following in a statement:
“Gay and lesbian couples in Wisconsin no longer have to fear that the protections they have will be taken away by unnecessary anti-gay legal action.”
The ruling was put on hold when Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed an appeal with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
