Thursday, May 16, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature Tuesday didn’t end the heated debate around same-sex marriage.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there’s no denying that this week’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was a historical moment. Minnesota became just the 12th state to sanction gay marriage when Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday. Patch readers quickly wrote in to share their thoughts on the moment. Eagan Patch reader Kathi Malone echoed the view of legislators who voted yes in seeing same-sex marriage as a civil right: I am so happy that finally gay people will be able to have the civil right to marry. This is truly an American vote for freedom. I applaud Sen Clausen and all other legislators who voted for this historical bill. James N added: Thank you Senator Carlson and the entire MN legislature for extending …
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
Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL) told his fellow senators that his friendships with same-sex couples in Eagan have 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," Eagan'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, voted 37-30 to approve the legislation after roughly four hours of spirited debate regarding personal and religious freedoms. The bill passed the Minnesota House on a 75-59 vote last week. Gov. Mark Dayton announced that he plans to sign the bill into law at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, …
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 …
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—and the first in the Midwest—to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage. Iowa allows gay marriage as the result of a 2009 court ruling. The State Senate will begin its debate and hold an eventual vote on the same bill that cleared the State House last week, H.F. 1054. The bill was cleared by the Senate General as a substitute…
Friday, May 10, 2013
The bill now moves on to the state senate as Minnesota Democrats hope to make the state the 12th in the nation to legalize gay marriage. Gov. Mark Dayton has vocally supported the legislation.
UPDATE: Minnesota Representatives approved with a 75-59 vote Thursday a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in the state, putting it on the road to become the 12th state in the nation to do so. The vote came at about 3 p.m. Thursday, May 9, about three hours after the bill was introduced. This is about honoring difference," bill sponsor Karen Clark said. "I respect the other point of view. But there is something about being able to marry the love of your life." Clark, a Democrat from Minneapolis, recognized her partner of 26 years in the assembly's audience. The vote came nearly six months to the day after a 2012 vote on a Republican-sponsored amendment item defining marriage as a union between man and woman. That, of course, was …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Reactions ranged from outright rejection and concern to celebration. No matter the views, it was an emotionally intense debate, legislators said.
District 51B Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL) drew on her own non-traditional family for inspiration while speaking in favor of same-sex marriage legislation on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives Thursday afternoon. "Families don’t all look the same, and I truly believe that by working for equality today, we’re saying that all families really do matter," said Halverson, who noted that her family was created through adoption, not biology. "When we come together and decide to create policies that support all families ... we’ve done well for our state. Halverson's comments came during a two-hour debate on the House floor. In the end, the full House voted 75-59 to approve the measure. The Minnesota Senate is expected to take it up …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Minnesota House of Representatives takes up the bill at noon on Thursday, May 9, 2013.
Roughly six months after Minnesotans struck down a statewide constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, the Minnesota House and Senate seem poised to legalize gay marriage. House Speaker and District 61B Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL) said Democrats have secured enough votes to push Clark's bill through, according to a report in the Pioneer Press. If the bill passes in the House on Thursday, Senate legislators may vote on it as early as Monday. Gov. Mark Dayton has said, unequivically, that he would support and sign the bill. If the measure, sponsored by District 62A Rep. Karen Clark (DFL), is approved, Minnesota would become the 12th state in the nation to legalize gay marriage. On Tuesday, Delaware became the 11th state to approve it. …
Friday, January 4, 2013
With so many challenges on the table, Patch wants to know what issues you think are most important.
With another legislative session just around the corner, senators and representatives have no shortage of challenges ahead of them. Lawmakers plan to convene hearings on gun control in the wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. They’ll review a recommendation from a governor-appointed task force to increase gas taxes and tab fees in response to a projected $50 billion shortfall in transportation funding. The DFL majority and defeat of the marriage amendment in the 2012 election could even prompt the Legislature to take up the issue of gay marriage. And looming over everything is a projected $1.1 billion deficit that legislators will have to close before adjourning for the year. With so many issues on the …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Participants were urged to turn the same-sex marriage debate toward the personal.
Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us Paul Melchert met his partner James eight years ago and fell in love while training for a triathlon. Veda Kanitz' favorite sister is in a committed relationship with another woman. It was stories like these that marriage amendment opponents shared during a town hall meeting in Eagan on Tuesday evening. The meeting, organized by Minnesotans United for All Families and held at their Eagan office, was designed to present and refute the arguments of Minnesota for Marriage, the group supporting the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Kate Brickman, the press secretary for Minnesotans United, said she wanted …
Dan Johnson
12:52 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
Public accommodations laws that include race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, and age, were already in effect. They do not apply to your church services, your home, or private club. "Subd. 2.Civil right. The opportunity to obtain employment, housing, and other real estate, and full and equal … more ›