MADISON, Wis. -- Madison officials could become the first in the nation to protest a state ban on gay marriage with a strong dissent added to their oath of office.

Madison residents voted 2-1 in November against the ban, which passed easily statewide.

The Madison Common Council will consider a plan on Tuesday to allow elected and appointed officials to register their disagreement when they take their oaths of office and swear to uphold the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.

Officials would have the option of signing a statement saying they took the oath under protest because the amendment "besmirches our constitution." They would pledge to fight to overturn the amendment and to minimize its impact.

Marty Rouse, a spokesman for Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, said that he believes the protest would be the first of its kind in the country.

Conservative groups and some scholars said that tinkering with the oath signals that Madison officials will carry out only the laws they support, setting a dangerous precedent.