Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, a
Republican, has changed his tune about a bill that seeks to protect
same-sex marriage.
Johnson was one of five GOP senators
who appeared to back passage of the Respect for Marriage Act after it
cleared the House with the support of 47 Republicans.
Johnson had earlier said that he saw
“no reason to oppose” the legislation.
Supporters of the bill say it is
important to codify the Supreme Court's marriage equality opinion in
Obergefell after the high court struck down Roe v. Wade,
which like Obergefell was based on the right to privacy.
In an interview Sunday with Wisconsin
TV station WISN, Johnson called the bill “completely unnecessary.”
“This is just Democrats opening up a
wound that had really healed,” he said. “I have always been
supportive of civil unions. And the Supreme Court ruled on gay
marriage. And I said, 'OK, that's the decision, let's move on.'”
“The decision on gay marriage will
never be overturned,” Johnson said. “It’s completely different
than Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs decision. This is where
stare decisis would be decisive. I do not see the Supreme Court
overturning that because they would impact millions of people that
acted on that.”
Supporters of the bill need 10 GOP
votes to pass it in the Senate.