Walker Blasts Supreme Court Ruling, Calls For Amendment Letting States Block Same-Sex Marriage

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says the U.S. Supreme Court made a “grave mistake” by allowing same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

In a statement Friday, Walker said that the states should have the right to decide whether to allow same-sex marriage, and went so far as to call for a constitutional amendment to give states the final say.

The all-but-certain presidential candidate said the country needs a conservative president to appoint members to the court who will base their decisions on law, not individual politics.

Walker also said he believes the state constitution protects religious rights and promised to make sure Wisconsinites are not coerced to accept or participate in same-sex marriages. He did not elaborate.

Marquette University Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin said Walker’s strong condemnation of the ruling may be calibrated to appeal to conservative presidential primary voters.

“Attitudes in support of gay marriage have tremendously increased over time, and they’ve increased very substantially among Republicans as well, but Republican views still remain somewhat more opposed to marriage than the public as a whole,” Franklin said.

Franklin said it’s too early to say if Walker’s conservative stance would hurt him in the general election if he’s the GOP presidential nominee. He said that may depend on whether people next year see gay marriage as a settled issue.

Other reactions to Friday’s Supreme Court decision fell largely along partisan and ideological lines in Wisconsin. Republican elected officials and conservative activists blasted the ruling, while Democrats and gay rights supporters hailed it as a historic step in the direction of equality.

Julaine Appling, president of the conservative group Wisconsin Family Action, echoed the governor, saying the court overstepped its bounds because the Constitution is silent on the issue of marriage. Appling also said she worries about future religious freedom issues and that her organization will continue its efforts to educate people about the institution of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

But Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin called the Supreme Court’s decision a huge victory for Americans.

Baldwin, a lesbian, issued a statement Friday saying she supports the court’s decision to legalize gay marriage and hopes to take additional steps to create equality for all Americans. Baldwin said every family’s love will now be honored by law.

Baldwin’s Republican Senate counterpart Ron Johnson said the ruling was inevitable but added he’s also worried the court’s action may threaten the freedom of people who are religiously opposed to anything but heterosexual marriage.

“I don’t want this ruling imposed on, let’s say, a priest who might be forced to sanctify a gay marriage,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t be doing that. So I hope we can move forward with civility and with a commitment to honor the first amendment right to religious expression and religious freedom.”

Former Wisconsin U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is challenging Johnson in his reelection bid next year. He said the ruling affirms a clear constitutional principle granting equal rights to same-sex couples.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Madison Democrat who is also gay, said the high court has reaffirmed what most Americans already know — that all couples have the right to get married no matter who they love. However, Pocan said there’s still much work to be done to ensure everyone is treated fairly under the law.

Judi Trampf of Madison who, along with her partner, Katy Heyning, was among a group of eight gay couples who sued to overturn Wisconsin’s ban last year, said Friday she’s ecstatic that the high court has recognized same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry. She said she was worried the court might strike down gay marriages and she’s happy she doesn’t have to worry about her marriage any longer.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include reactions from Ron Johnson, Russ Feingold and Charles Franklin.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the Associated Press reported that Gov. Walker called for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. It has been updated.