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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A judge on Monday refused to block a Sept. 18 statewide vote on a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.
Opponents of the amendment said they would appeal.
Louisiana already has a law stating that marriage can be only between a man and woman, but supporters of an amendment banning gay marriage want to protect that law in the Constitution.
A group called Forum for Equality filed suit, arguing that the ban would violate the Louisiana Constitution's guarantee of individuals' rights to enter into contracts and own property together.
Judge Michael Caldwell heard arguments in the case Monday and refused to order the amendment removed from the ballot.
On Friday, another judge filed a temporary order blocking the vote on the grounds that Sept. 18 is not a statewide election date as the Constitution requires. However, he suspended his order so the state can appeal directly to the Louisiana Supreme Court. | 
