US: Wisconsin Governor to recognise existing same-sex marriages
For the purpose of amending past tax returns, some 500 same-sex couples who married in the US state of Wisconsin in June will have their marriages recognised.
The announcement was made on Monday by Governor Scott Walker’s administration. Governor Walker and Attorney General JB Van Hollen last week conceded that their fight against same-sex marriage was over.
The previous announcement came after the US Supreme Court rejected Wisconsin’s appeal to reinstate the ban.
The announcement specifically stated that all married couples would be treated equally, including those who married in the state in June during a short period between June 6 and 13, after a judge struck down the same-sex marriage ban but before a stay was issued.
To benefit, same-sex couples have been asked to fill in joint tax forms, as is standard procedure.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who voted for the 2006 amendment, has stated that his position remains unchanged, but that the battle over the issue has ended following the Supreme Court’s action.
