Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Legislation to allow gay marriage in the state cleared its final hurdle Monday, May 13. With Gov. Mark Dayton expected to sign the bill as soon as tomorrow, Minnesota will become the 12th state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry.
The Minnesota Senate approved H.F. 1054 Monday, May 13, clearing the way for Minnesota same-sex couples to marry in the state. The 37 to 30 vote, which was seen as the last hurdle for the legislation, makes Minnesota the 12th in the United States to recognize same-sex marriages in state law. Gov. Mark Dayton's office announced a signing ceremony set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. Democrats, known locally as the DFL party, hold a 39-28 advantage in the Minnesota Senate. Debate began shortly after noon Monday, with the Republican Party introducing a pair of amendments to the bill, both of which were voted down by state Democrats, who control the Senate. It quickly moved to speeches invoking personal feelings and relationships surrounding the…
Monday, May 13, 2013
After the Minnesota Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage Monday afternoon, politicians, celebrities and citizens weighed in on both sides of the issue online.
Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL) told his fellow senators that his friendships with same-sex couples in his district has broadened his understanding and acceptance of the issue.
The love that committed same-sex couples share is "really no different than the love I have for my wife of 40 years," Burnsville's District 51 Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL), told his fellow senators on Monday. Carlson spoke on the Senate floor in favor of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on Monday afternoon and, like other legislators, shared a very personal account of his acceptance of same-sex relationships. The Senate, which took up the issue shortly after noon on Monday, is expected to vote this afternoon whether to pass the proposal. If the legislation is approved, Gov. Mark Dayton has said he will sign the bill into law. The bill passed the Minnesota House on a 75-59 vote last week. Carlson began by admitting that, as a young student …
Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis works for marriage equality, but it's her efforts in suicide prevention that have made her a local hero. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.
About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. When the news of the passage of the marriage equity bill by the Minnesota House of Representatives reached Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis, the first person she wanted to share it with was her wife of nearly eight years, Kathy Luebbe. Provis and Luebbe were married in Toronto, Canada, and for years she says they have played a game on road trips of “Now we’re legally married. Whoops, now we’re not.” The long road to marriage equity mirrors the journey Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis has taken professional and personally to arrive …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Minnesota Senate is expected to begin debate of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage at noon on Monday.
Last Thursday, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted 75-59 to legalize gay marriage after two hours of emotionally exhausting—but civil—dialogue. Now, it's the Senate's turn. At noon on Monday, the Minnesota Senate is expected to begin debating the issue. If the Senate passes the measure, Gov. Mark Dayton has said he will sign it into law. If the law is approved, Minnesota would be the 12th state in the nation to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage. Iowa allows gay marriage as the result of a 2009 court ruling. Click here to read the bill's full text. The DFL holds a majority in that branch of the legislature and Senate Majority Leader District 3 Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL) said he believes he has the votes to pass the bill. The is …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
After Tuesday's approval of the same-sex marriage bill by House and Senate committees, we want to know if you think the issue should be addressed in schools.
On Tuesday, two committees in the Minnesota Legislature passed same-sex marriage bills, which moved them to the next step: approval or rejection by the full House and Senate. Discussions about gay marriage aren't confined to politics. Last year's proposed consitutional amendment and this year's bills are leading to conversations in homes and churches. But should those discussions move into public school classrooms? After same-sex marriage was legalized in New York, Chancellor Merryl Tisch, the head of the state Board of Regents, said the issue should be added to districts' curriculums. "We have to think of, how we do discuss gay marriage thoughtfully, respectfully and sensitively," Tisch said. "There has to be age-appropriateness." Same-…
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
A bill authored by Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL) would define marriage as a union between two people—rather than a union between a man and a woman.
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter| Blog for us District 57A Rep. Tara Mack (R) wasn't surprised when Democrats unveiled a bill permitting same-sex marriage in Minnesota in late February, but the second-term legislator was certainly disappointed. Last year, Democrats accused Republicans of neglecting budget problems while they pushed a divisive social agenda, Mack said. Now, it appears that Democrats are doing the same thing, she added, despite an estimated $627 million budget deficit. Mack isn't the only Dakota County legislator who had plenty to say about the same-sex marriage bill, which was authored by District 61 Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL) and introduced last Thursday. The bill was referred to …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
While proponents were saying the race was still too early to call, the Associated Press called the race shortly before 2 a.m. The vote means the state constitution will not define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The Minnesota Marriage Amendment has been rejected. The campaign to amend the Minnesota state constitution to limit the definition of marriage to strictly between heterosexual couples was defeated Tuesday by more than 51 percent of a statewide vote. With 92 percent of state precincts reporting, the Associated Press reported shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday that Amendment 1—informally known as the Minnesota Marriage Amendment—had failed: "Vote No" won. Speaking to a cheering crowd of hundreds at St Paul's River Centre, Richard Carlbom, the campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families, told audiences that Minnesota was the first state in the nation to reject a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage at the ballot …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Issue comes before voters in November.
A new set of survey results released Wednesday morning suggests support for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage rests on a knife's edge. The poll, by Public Policy Polling (PPP), said 48 percent of Minnesotans support the amendment and 47 percent oppose it, with less than sixty days to go until the November election. State law already bans same-sex marriage. "In January we found 48/44 support for the ban, while in June we found 49/43 opposition," said a statement from the pollsters, published on PPP's website. "It looks like a toss up." Opinions broke down by age group thus: Women (52/41), Democrats (78/16), and voters under 45 (50/45) all oppose the ban. Men (55/41), Republicans (80/17), independents (51/42), and …
Measure is on the November 2012 ballot.
Update 12:45 p.m. 9-12-12: A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows support for the amendment at 48 percent and opposition against it at 47 percent. With a new poll suggesting a same-sex marriage ban could pass this November, supporters of a proposed state constitutional amendment doing just that may have walked around with an extra spring in their step on Tuesday. Current state law already bans same-sex marriage. According to the KSTP/SurveyUSA Poll, support for the measure sits at about 50 percent, and opposition against the amendment at about 43 percent. The remaining eight percent or so are undecided, the station said. The station also broke down poll results by geography: The amendment is favored in all regions of the state, with …
Mike Hindin
9:37 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013
Try anything with John Wane in it. I don't care about Hollywood past or present. more ›