Federal Judge Says Hold On Gay Marriages Is Lifted

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge in Wisconsin says she is lifting her hold on an order allowing same-sex marriages to take place in Wisconsin.

Judge Barbara Crabb declared Wisconsin's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional in June, but she put her ruling on hold a week later while the state appealed. The hold was set to expire as soon as appeals ended.

That happened Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an appeals court decision upholding Crabb's ruling.

Crabb says no additional action is needed to let same-sex couples begin to marry. But she also says there's some confusion on the matter, so on Tuesday she issued a memo to make it clear that the hold was lifted.

Crabb says Wisconsin can no longer enforce its gay marriage ban.

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