MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) - The Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions.

In a 7-0 ruling, the court on Wednesday ruled that the 2006 constitutional amendment was properly put to voters in a statewide referendum. The court rejected a lawsuit that claimed the amendment violated a rule that limits referendum questions to a single subject. The lawsuit, filed by a UW professor opposed to the amendment, argued that gay marriage and civil unions were two different subjects and should have been presented to the voters as two separate ballot questions.

Justice Michael Gableman says both sentences "carry out the same general purpose of preserving the legal status of marriage in Wisconsin as between only one man and one woman." The court says its ruling is not based on the substance of the constitutional amendment, only the procedure used to approve it.