Opinion ID: 1587732
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Applying the Test

Text: ¶ 51 The marriage amendment contains two propositions: (1) Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state; and (2) A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state. The text of this amendment and historical context in which it was adopted make its general subject and purpose plain. ¶ 52 A plain reading of the text of the amendment, in which both propositions expressly refer to marriage, makes clear that the general subject of the amendment is marriage. McConkey does not seem to dispute this point. ¶ 53 Before the marriage amendment was adopted, marriage in Wisconsin was already limited by statute to the unions of one man and one woman. See Wis. Stat. § 765.001(2) (2005-06) [19] (Under the laws of this state, marriage is a legal relationship between 2 equal persons, a husband and wife.); § 765.01 (Marriage, so far as its validity at law is concerned, is a civil contract, to which the consent of the parties capable in law of contracting is essential, and which creates the legal status of husband and wife.). [20] This amendment was therefore an effort to preserve and constitutionalize the status quo, not to alter the existing character or legal status of marriage. ¶ 54 The first sentence preserves the one man-one woman character of marriage by so limiting marriages entered into or recognized in Wisconsin. The second sentence, by its plain terms, ensures that no legislature, court, or any other government entity can get around the first sentence by creating or recognizing a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage. [21] We need not decide what legal statuses identical or substantially similar to marriage are prohibited by this clause in order to understand its plain and general purpose. ¶ 55 Why preserve the status quo through a constitutional amendment? This is no secret either. The sponsors of the amendment were quite clear that state supreme court decisions overturning the marriage laws of other states were the primary reason for the amendment. [22] In short, the sponsors of the amendment wanted to protect the current definition and legal status of marriage, and to ensure that the requirements in the first sentence could not be rendered illusory by later legislative or court action recognizing or creating identical or substantially similar legal statuses. The purpose of the marriage amendment, then, was to preserve the legal status of marriage in Wisconsin as between only one man and one woman. Both propositions in the amendment tend to effect or carry out this general purpose. [23] ¶ 56 To conclude, the two propositions contained in the marriage amendment plainly relate to the subject of marriage. And as the text of the amendment and context of its adoption make clear, the general purpose of the marriage amendment is to preserve the legal status of marriage in Wisconsin as between only one man and one woman. Both propositions in the marriage amendment relate to and are connected with this purpose. Therefore, the marriage amendment does not violate the separate amendment rule of Article XII, Section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution. Rather, the marriage amendment was adopted by the people of Wisconsin using the process prescribed by the constitution, and is properly now part of our constitution.