Politics & Government

Gov. Mark Dayton Symbolically Vetoes Marriage Amendment

Southwest Minneapolis lawmaker Sen. Scott Dibble said it sent a message to young people disheartened by the legislature's passage of the amendment.

Gov. Mark Dayton symbolically vetoed the anti-gay marriage amendment passed last weekend by the Minnesota legislature.

The amendment, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, will still be on 2012 ballot because the legislature has the authority to put constitutional amendments up for a public vote without his approval. But Dayton's supporters at the press conference Wednesday said the symbolic veto sent a strong message to the public.

Dayton said Minnesotans should "reject this mean-spirited, divisive, un-Minnesotan and un-American amendment."

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"All American citizens are entitled to equal rights and protection under the law," Dayton read from a letter he sent to the Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo). "That would clearly include the right of a citizen to marry legally the person he or she loves."

State Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) said the governor's symbolic veto sends the message "that he stands with every citizen and with every family in his larger effort to do well by Minnesota, to expand the promise of our country, to help our economy."

"[It] sends a signal to young people who‘ve been so disheartened by the actions of our legislature, who’ve been sent such a negative message, a message of being marginalized, a message that our constitution is not for them," Dibble said. "Our governor is saying, 'That’s not the case.'"

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Dayton said he believes the amendment will fail: "People want to be families, people want to share the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the way their creator created them."

Watch the entire press conference at TheUptake.


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