Thursday, May 9, 2013 – Minnesota is close to becoming the 12 state to legalize same-sex marriage.
The Minnesota House has passed a measure to legalize same-sex marriage. The vote was 75 to 59.
In November 2012, voters turned back an effort to ban same sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution.
“We come not to destroy marriage, but to uphold it for all,” said Rep. Barb Yarusso, DFL-Shoreview.
The measure now goes to the Senate, which will take up the issue on Monday, May 13, 2013.
If it passes Monday, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton will sign it into law and make Minnesota the 12th U.S. state to legalize gay marriage.
“My family knew firsthand that same sex couples pay our taxes, we vote, we serve in the military, we take care of our kids and our elders and we run businesses in Minnesota… Same-sex couples should be treated fairly under the law, including the freedom to marry the person we love,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Karen Clark, a Minneapolis Democrat who is gay.
Rev. Steve Goold of New Hope Church led followers in a morning prayer. He is one of those against same sex marriage.
“There are kids being raised by grandparents, single parents, two moms or two dads. Some of those folks are my friends. And we talk about the same things as parents. We talk about large piles of laundry, and how much it hurts to step on a Lego. That’s what we do, because we’re all families,” said Rep. Laurie Halverson, a Democrat from the Twin Cities suburbs.
Published on Nov 7, 2012
At 1:45 a.m., Campaign Manager Richard Carlbom of Minnesotans United for All Families announced to campaign staff and board members that the vote on the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota was too close to call. As he was about to end his remarks and tell everyone to get some sleep, Carlbom was told by the campaign’s communications director Kelly Schwinghammer, “The AP just called it.” An impromptu, joyous, tear-filled celebration ensued. It was the first time in U.S. history that an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment had been defeated. (Video by Robert Arvid Nelsen)
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