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.
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.