MADISONâ??A legal challenge to the state’s new constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions is gaining momentum.
The lawsuit cleared a key procedural hurdle on Wednesday, a high-profile Madison lawyer has taken the case and the state’s largest gay rights group is supporting the challenge.
Last year, 59 percent of Wisconsin voters approved the amendment in a statewide referendum that prohibits same-sex couples from getting married and the state from recognizing civil unions.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh political science instructor William McConkey filed his legal challenge in July claiming the amendment violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.