." Because the case came to the U.S. Supreme Court through mandatory appellate review (not "certiorari"), the dismissal constituted a decision on the merits and established "Baker v. Nelson" as precedent, though the extent of its precedential effect had been subject to debate. In May 2013, Minnesota legalized same-sex marriage and it took effect on August 1, 2013. Subsequently, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court explicitly overruled "Baker" in "Obergefell v