The Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees unanimously passed a bill Thursday redefining Wisconsin’s marriage law as between “one man and one woman.”

Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, proposed the bill to prevent courts from stretching the state’s definition of marriage to allow same-sex marriages in Wisconsin.

The current law already defines marriage as a civil contract between a husband and a wife. Assembly Bill 475 and its Senate companion would amend this statute in order to clarify the state’s public policy, according to Gundrum spokeswoman Jolene Churchill.

“[Rep. Gundrum’s] general position is to reinforce marriage, not reinvent it,” Churchill said.

Opponents of the bill say it discriminates against gays and lesbians by banning civil marriage equality.

“We are disappointed that this bill passed,” said Christopher Ott, executive director of Action Wisconsin, a gay-rights group. “I think every legislator who voted in favor of it should be ashamed.”

Allowing same-sex marriages and providing domestic-partner benefits for gay and lesbian couples has been an explosive issue in many states across the nation. Vermont enacted a law in 2000 recognizing “civil unions” between same-sex couples. The law provided those couples all the legal benefits of marriage.

This alarmed many state legislatures, which responded by proposing so-called “defense of marriage” acts specifying marriage as a contract between a man and a woman. Churchill said about 37 states have similar laws to the bill currently pending in Wisconsin.

“With the current state of affairs, legislators thought the original intent of the law could be confusing,” said Angela Srozena of the University of Wisconsin College Republicans. “Marriage is something very different from civil unions. I think by definition it is between a man and a woman.”

The bill also specifies that the state would not recognize same-sex marriages even if they took place legally in another state.

“Regardless of whether a marriage takes place in another jurisdiction in which marriage other than between one man and one woman is defined as valid, only marriage between one man and one woman shall be recognized as valid in this state,” the bill states.

This summer, President Bush also showed his support for marriage-definition statutes by asking government lawyers to develop federal legislation that would legally define marriage as a union specifically between a man and a woman.

“I think it’s really sad and really discouraging that [lawmakers] think gays and lesbians are a disposable constituency,” Ott said. “But they’re wrong.”

Wisconsin’s legislative bill is expected to go before the Senate sometime in the near future. Action Wisconsin said it plans to mobilize supporters from across the state to protest this legislation with a march to the Capitol Sept. 30.

“The public is way ahead of the state government and understands the issue,” Ott said. “But it escapes too many of our political leaders. We want to show support for something more positive.”

Gov. Jim Doyle said in previous statements that the bill is unnecessary, and he is expected to veto it if it crosses his desk.