MADISON — In the latest chapter in a years-long legislative power struggle, the Wisconsin Supreme Court opened the door Tuesday for a statewide ban on conversion therapy, in a ruling that gives the governor more power over how laws are enacted.
The court ruled Tuesday that a Republican-controlled legislative committeeÃÛèÖÊÓƵ rejection of a state agency rule that would ban the practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people was unconstitutional. The decision, which has a broad impact far beyond the conversion therapy issue, takes power away from the Legislature to block the enactment of rules by the governorÃÛèÖÊÓƵ office that carry the force of law.
The 4-3 ruling from the liberal-controlled court comes amid the national battle over LGBTQ+ rights. It is also part of a broader effort by the Democratic governor to rein in the power of the GOP-controlled Legislature.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in March to hear a Colorado case about whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.
What is conversion therapy?
What is known as conversion therapy is the scientifically discredited practice of using therapy to “convert†LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations.
The practice has been banned in 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank. It is also banned in more than a dozen communities across Wisconsin.
Advocates seeking to ban the practice want to forbid mental health professionals in the state from counseling clients with the goal of changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Rock County reaction
Locally in Rock County, the ruling gives a sense of support to the LGBTQ+ community, said Stephanie Hormig-Dismuke, a case worker at Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Hormig-Dismuke said there has been growing anxiety amid efforts nationally against gender-affirming care.
“On the national level we are scared with what the next few years will bring so anything on the state level that shows Gov. Evers and state leaders are willing to do anything to help is appreciated,†Hormig-Dismuke said.
She pointed to President TrumpÃÛèÖÊÓƵ “One Big Beautiful Bill,†that had been criticized for its inclusion of LGBTQ healthcare items. She also pointed to the Beloit School BoardÃÛèÖÊÓƵ decision to ban the display of all flags except the U.S. and Wisconsin flags, a ruling perceived by some to be directed toward pride flags.
“These things say ‘we don’t want these things,’†Hormig-Dismuke said. Actions like TuesdayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ state court decision “say we do,â€
Hormig-Dismuke said that education regarding LGBTQ issues remains important.
“In my job I travel around Rock County and people are not aware of what things mean and what the issues are,†Hormig-Dismuke said.
What is happening in Wisconsin?
Since April 2024, the Wisconsin professional licensing board for therapists, counselors and social workers has labeled conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct.
But the LegislatureÃÛèÖÊÓƵ powerful Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules — a Republican-controlled panel in charge of approving state agency regulations — has blocked the provision twice.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court said in its ruling Tuesday that the committee has been overreaching its authority in blocking a variety of other state regulations during Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration. That clears the way for the conversion therapy ban to be enacted, although itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ not immediately clear when it will take effect.
Republicans who supported suspending the conversion therapy ban have insisted the issue isn’t the policy itself, but whether the licensing board had the authority to take the action it did.
Evers has been trying since 2020 to get the ban enacted, but the Legislature has stopped it from going into effect.
In a release on Tuesday, Evers called the ruling “incredibly important†and said it will stop a small number of lawmakers from “holding rules hostage without explanation or action and causing gridlock across state government.â€
But Republican Sen. Steve Nass, co-chair of the legislative committee in question, said the ruling gives Evers “unchecked dominion to issue edicts without legislative review that will harm the rights of citizens.â€
“Today, the liberal majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court ended nearly 7 decades of shared governance between the legislature and executive branch agencies aimed at protecting the rights of individuals, families and businesses from the excessive actions of bureaucrats,†Nass said.
Nass later on Tuesday said, “todayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ ruling is another devastating attack on the Wisconsin Constitution and on the authority of the Legislature, the only branch of government now controlled by Republicans. Unfortunately, with the passage of the horrible Vos-Evers budget last week, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos gave away the power-of-the-purse-string for the next two years, so our options of defunding bureaucrats are now off the table.â€
Legislative power weakened by ruling
The LegislatureÃÛèÖÊÓƵ attorney argued that decades of precedent backed up their argument, including a 1992 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding the LegislatureÃÛèÖÊÓƵ right to suspend state agency rules.
Evers argued that by blocking the rule, the legislative committee is taking over powers that the state constitution assigns to the governor and exercising an unconstitutional “legislative veto.â€
The Supreme Court agreed.
The court found that the Legislature was violating the state constitutionÃÛèÖÊÓƵ requirement that any laws pass both houses of the Legislature and be presented to the governor.
The Legislature was illegally taking “action that alters the legal rights and duties of the executive branch and the people of Wisconsin,†Chief Justice Jill Karofsky wrote for the majority. She was joined by the courtÃÛèÖÊÓƵ three other liberal justices.
Conservatives decry ruling
Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley said TuesdayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ ruling “lets the executive branch exercise lawmaking power unfettered and unchecked.†She and fellow conservative Justice Annette Ziegler said in dissents that the ruling shifts too much power to the executive branch and holds the Legislature to a higher legal standard.
“Progressives like to protest against ‘kings’—unless it is one of their own making,†Bradley wrote.
Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, in a dissent, said the courtÃÛèÖÊÓƵ ruling is “devoid of legal analysis and raises more questions than it answers.â€
Hagedorn argued for a more narrow ruling that would have only declared unconstitutional the legislative committeeÃÛèÖÊÓƵ indefinite objection to a building code rule.
The issue goes beyond conversion therapy.
The conversion therapy ban is one of several rules that have been blocked by the legislative committee. Others pertain to environmental regulations, vaccine requirements and public health protections.
Environmental groups hailed the ruling.
The decision will prevent a small number of lawmakers from blocking the enactment of environmental protections passed by the Legislature and signed into law, said Wilkin Gibart, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates.
The court previously sided with Evers in one issue brought in the lawsuit, ruling 6-1 last year that another legislative committee was illegally preventing the state Department of Natural Resources from funding grants to local governments and nongovernmental organizations for environmental projects under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
