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Democratic lawmakers from Wisconsin are calling on Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to drop their defense of the state's gay marriage ban, saying the efforts are wasting taxpayer money and trying to protect an unconstitutional policy.

The state's 15 Democratic state senators as well as 26 Assembly Democrats sent letters to Walker and Van Hollen on Wednesday.

"We ask that you stop wasting additional taxpayer dollars defending policies that promote inequality, foster discrimination, and limit the rights and freedoms of our fellow Wisconsinites," they wrote.

Dana Brueck, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice, said Van Hollen has no plans to drop his defense of the ban.

"We’ll respond to the legislators, but Attorney General Van Hollen has no plans to stop fulfilling his oath or to stop doing what he was elected to do, which is to defend the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin," Brueck said in an email.

And on Wednesday, a Walker spokeswoman repeated the governor's support for defending the ban.