Friday, May 17, 2013
The law's chief author, who represents Southwest Minneapolis, said many senators who wanted to be at the ceremony on the Minnesota Capitol steps could not.
Minnesota state Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) told the Minnesota Senate Wednesday of his disappointment that "the doors of this chamber were locked" Tuesday—preventing senators from attending the large crowd assembled on the Capitol steps for Gov. Mark Dayton's ceremonial signing of the bill Dibble introduced legalizing same-sex marriages in Minnesota. According to The UpTake, "Republican Senators used a rarely invoked rule to lock the doors of the Senate chamber to keep members inside as they debated the bill to allow unionization among certain workers." Related: Day Care Providers Rally as Minnesota Senate Approves Unionization Bill Excerpts from Dibble's remarks Wednesday night: "I want to thank everyone on all sides of the issue …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The new law's supporters and opponents traded claims and denials of bigotry.
When—if ever—is it fair to call another person a bigot? Leave your comment below. A flashpoint in the debate over Minnesota's new marriage-equality law was the use of the words "bigot," "bigoted," or "bigotry" in reference to opponents of making same-sex marriages legal. After the state Legislature approved the bill, the group Minnesota for Marriage said in a statement: Over one million Minnesotans will be forced to either affirm what they believe to be false or subject themselves to prosecution and insult as “bigots” ... under our law with the passage of this bill. 'You're a Bigot' On Monday at the state Senate, Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) took exception to accusations that opponents of the same-sex marriage bill are bigots. Sen. Dan…
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Senate approved the bill in a 37-30 vote Monday afternoon. The governor is scheduled to sign it into law at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
On the heels of the Minnesota House's approval last Thursday, the Senate also approved a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry Monday. Watch the debate in the video window above or at The UpTake. Related at Southwest Minneapolis Patch:
Friday, May 10, 2013
The next step is for the MN Senate to vote on the bill that State Sen. Scott Dibble, who represents Southwest Minneapolis, co-authored.
State Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) saluted the Minnesota House of Representatives' passage Thursday of same-sex marriage legislation. The Minnesota Senate will take up its version of the bill, introduced by Dibble, on Monday. Dibble said in a statement Thursday: "Today's historic vote by the Minnesota House of Representatives is a very large step toward the freedom to marry for Minnesotans. We have cleared one of the final obstacles on our journey toward greater equality. "We have arrived at this moment because regular, hard working people across the state have shown the courage to live with dignity, step forward and tell their stories, talk to their neighbors, and stand up for equality. We have engaged in a statewide conversation …
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Same-sex couple Paul Melchert and James Zimmerman and their twin sons Emmett and Gabriel, 3, are 'practicing who President Obama is,' KSTP reported.
A Southwest Minneapolis family of two dads and twin boys are traveling to Washington, D.C., to be guests of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll celebration. That's according to a post at KSTP.com, which explained how Tangletown residents Paul Melchert, James Zimmerman and their twin sons Emmett and Gabriel are getting ready: "We've been practicing who President Obama is and why he's important to our family and why he is important for all of us," said father Paul Melchert. Each year, President Obama reserves tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Hunt for two-mom and two-dad families. "At the years that our state and that the nation is looking at this in such an intense close …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
It's 'marriage equality' vs. 'traditional marriage' as the U.S. Supreme Court considers challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Prop. 8 banning same-sex marriage.
Should the U.S. Supreme Court uphold or overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage? Take the poll above and leave your comment below! By Wednesday it was same-old, same-old as Supreme Court justices heard a second day of arguments about laws concerning same-sex marriage. Under DOMA, the federal government does not recognize marriages between people of the same gender. Prop. 8 made marriages between people of the same gender illegal again in California. How would you rule if you sat on the nation's high court? Take the poll above and leave your comment below. For more on Tuesday's Prop. 8 arguments, you can play the full audio above (or listen and see the unofficial transcript via …
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Fifth District representative also lauded official recognition of the new government in Somalia.
Immigration reform should guarantee same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison said last week. Ellison's statement came in response to President Obama's reform proposal, which does include equal rights for both kinds of families. But extending protections to gay couples is proving politically dicey, according to the Washington Post, and isn't part of a bipartisan Senate plan. Here is Ellison's Jan. 29, 2013 statement in full: “America was founded on the idea of liberty and justice for all. Just like today’s immigrants, our founders came to America to escape oppression and ensure opportunity for their children. It’s long past due our laws live up to our values. The President today laid out a vision for…
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Area religious groups active against marriage amendment.
A priest, a minister, and a rabbi walk into a bar. It's not a joke, the minister tells the bartender. "No, we're serious," says the minister. "Seriously against limiting Minnesotans' freedom to marry." The three religious leaders—Shir Tikvah's Rabbi Michael Latz and the heads of two St Paul churches—are part of a new TV commercial put together by Minnesotans United for All Families, the main group organizing against the marriage amendment. The amendment, on the ballot this November, would write a ban on same-sex marriages into the state constitution. The state already has such a law on the books but proponents say an amendment is needed to prevent potential future repeal efforts. Minnesotans United is seeking to cast the issue as a …
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Minneapolis church's children raise money with "Lemonade Stand-ing On The Side Of Love."
Few things are as symbolic of summer in America than a group of young kids selling lemonade from an upturned cardboard box by the sidewalk. Capitalism, youthful idyll, neighborliness—it's all in there, sweeter than powdered, lemon-flavored drink mix. Two Sundays ago, the children of Southwest Minneapolis' First Universalist Church added "charity" and "equality" to that list when they set up lemonade stands after church to raise money for the fight against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. "It was really neat—a lot of the kids had made posters during their time in Religious Education class, and hung those up to direct people from the sanctuary to the social hall," said Golden Valley resident and First …
From Saturday to Monday, MN United will bring in 1000s of volunteers to participate in marathon phone banks and trainings.
Sunday, July 29, will mark 100 days until Minnesotans have an opportunity to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman in the state constitution, reflecting existing state statute). [Related: POLL: Do You Approve Of The Marriage Amendment's Ballot Title?] According to a statement issued this morning, Minnesotans United for All Families is planning to embark on a "massive statewide effort to reach out to 100,000 voters over a three-day period" to garner support to defeat the amendment. [Related: Momentum Grows to Defeat Amendment Limiting Freedom to Marry] The statement says that from Saturday to Monday, Minnesotans United will bring in thousands of volunteers to participate in …
Dan Johnson
5:58 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Removing it from the law (which I believe is impossible), denies that recognition for those who don't belong to any religion. It would require them to travel to a different country to get married. more ›