MADISON, WI — On Tuesday, July 7, the Wisconsin Supreme Court made a historic ruling that opens the door for LGBTQ+ conversion therapy to be banned in the state.

Currently in Wisconsin, there is a state agency regulation banning the practice of conversion therapy, originally drafted by the Wisconsin professional licensing board for therapists, counselors and social workers. Despite Governor Evers’ repeated efforts to enact the ban, the Republican-led legislative committee has blocked the ban from going into effect twice, arguing that the rejection was not about the ban itself, but rather a question of whether the licensing board had the authority to create the ban in the first place.

However, in a 4-3 decision, Tuesday’s state Supreme Court ruling found that the state’s legislative committee is overstepping their authority by rejecting state agency rules at their own discretion.

The decision overturns decades of precedent stemming from a 1992 state Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Legislature’s right to suspend any state agency rules. But the lawsuit, originally brought before the courts by Governor Evers’ legal team, argued that by blocking rule, the legislative committee was taking over power that the state constitution granted to the Governor.

“Today’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision ensures that no small group of lawmakers has the sole power to stymie the work of state government and go unchecked,” Evers said in an official statement. “This is an incredibly important decision that will ensure state government can do our important work efficiently and effectively to serve Wisconsinites across our state.”

This change in public policy represents a major win for LGBTQ+ rights during a time when courts in Wisconsin and across the country are hearing and ruling on a significantly increased number of anti-LGBTQ+, anti-trans, and anti-equality bills.