Wisconsin, Indiana ask U.S. justices to hear gay marriage cases

By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The states of Wisconsin and Indiana on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold their respective bans on gay marriage. Both states filed petitions with the court in an effort to get the cases before the nine justices as soon as possible. The justices are due to meet on Sept. 29 to consider what new cases to take up for the coming term, which begins in October and ends in June. The move comes after the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that both state bans were invalid. The new petitions mean there are now gay marriage cases concerning five states pending at the high court. The others are Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma. The Supreme Court is expected to hear at least one of the cases, which is likely to lead to a ruling that will determine once and for all whether states can ban gay marriage. In all the cases, gay marriage advocates agree with those defending the bans that the court should take up the issue. "Our state, nation and all persons involved need a final, unambiguous and conclusive answer from the Supreme Court on the legal authority of states to license marriages," Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, a Republican, said in a statement. More than 30 courts overall have ruled in favor of gay marriage since a Supreme Court ruling in June 2013 struck down a key part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denied benefits to same-sex married couples. Gay marriage is legal in 19 of the 50 states and in Washington, D.C.