Members of Wisconsin's Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus have unveiled two proposals aimed at strengthening marriage equality in the state by eliminating language that currently prohibits same-sex marriage in the constitution and several statutes.

In 2006, Wisconsin's Constitution was amended to define legal marriage as "between one man and one woman" following the passage of Referendum 1, which garnered 59 percent of the vote in the general election that year. Although it has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court's groundbreaking 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, Referendum 1 remains part of the state's Constitution.

During a press conference on Wednesday, state Sen. Tim Carpenter, who is openly gay, expressed his personal disappointment with the passing of the constitutional amendment. He stated, "Some of my colleagues came up to me afterwards and said don't take it personal - well, it's been personal."

In order to remove the language invalidating same-sex marriages from Wisconsin's Constitution, Carpenter and fellow LGBTQ+ lawmakers introduced a proposal on Wednesday. The measure would need to be approved by both chambers of the legislature before being presented to voters. State Sen. Mark Spreitzer, a co-sponsor of the bill, emphasized the importance of acting quickly, stating, "2026 would be the 20-year anniversary of this discriminatory language being in our state constitution. If we act now...we have the opportunity to let the people of Wisconsin repeal it before we hit that embarrassing 20-year anniversary."

The introduction of these proposals aligns with the one-year anniversary of President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act, which made marriage equality a federal law.

Alongside the constitutional amendment proposal, the lawmakers also introduced a second measure aimed at guaranteeing equal treatment for same-sex couples under Wisconsin's statutes related to marriage and parenting. This proposal seeks to rectify outdated language that currently refers to spouses as "husbands and wives" in the state's marriage and family laws. Spreitzer highlighted the impact of these outdated references on various aspects of life, such as hunting and fishing licenses, insurance coverage, retirement, and death benefits.

"It is long past time for our state constitution and state statutes to reflect that marriage equality is the law of the land, and has been now for over a decade," Spreitzer concluded.

It remains to be seen how these proposals will progress through the legislative process, but the introduction of these measures signifies another step towards achieving full equality for same-sex couples in Wisconsin.