Minnesota House approves gay marriage bill after two-hour debate

[MineralMan]

Source: Star Tribune

The Minnesota House approved a gay marriage bill Thursday that would position the state to become the 12th in the country to allow gay marriages and the first in the Midwest to pass such a law out of its Legislature.

Debate in the House got underway in the early afternoon, as thousands of supporters and opponents gathered outside the chamber. House Democratic leaders and the bill's supporters were confident it would pass. If it passes Monday in the Senate, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton could be sign it into law by early next week 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," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Karen Clark, a Minneapolis Democrat who is gay. "... Same-sex couples should be treated fairly under the law, including the freedom to marry the person we love."

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/206794041.html

---

The Senate will pass, and the Governor will sign. It's assured!

[TrogL]

1. Another article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/minnesota-house-gay-marriage_n_3247769.html?ir=Gay+Voices

[MineralMan]

2. Thanks. I had to break this in GD, because it took ten minutes

for some news source to post an actual story I could use in LBN.

[azurnoir]

11. actually HuffPo is used in LBN with some frequency

there was no need to wait

[MineralMan]

12. Actually, my LBN post still beat huffpo.

[Cha]

3. Good on Minnesota..

thanks MineralMan!

[randome]

4. It's a measure of how far this issue has come that it required ONLY two hours of debate.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[LuckyLib]

9. The debate had already gone on last year, when MN voters defeated a sanctity

of marriage amendment.

[riverwalker]

5. Marriages can begin August 1st !!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/minnesota-house-poised-to-approve-gay-marriage.php

[MineralMan]

7. Yes, after the Senate votes and the Governor signs.

There is no sign, whatsoever, that either thing will not occur, so it truly is time to celebrate this.

[wellstone dem]

6. A great day

With a number of courageous votes from legislators who voted for the bill, when their districts had voted the other way on the marriage amendment.

Happy Day! Happy Day! Happy Day!

[MineralMan]

8. Yes. Several Republicans also voted for it, too.

Good news. Reason is triumphing today.

[azurnoir]

10. Kudo's to my state :)

[Ash_F]

13. Good for them.

One state at a time, if that's what it takes.

[Swede Atlanta]

14. Congratulations!!!!!

The states that provide marriage equality by whatever means (legislative action, judicial decision, popular vote), are traditionally BLUE

(1) Massachusetts
(2) New York
(3) Connecticut
(4) Rhode Island
(5) Vermont
(6) New Hampshire
(7) Maine
(8) Maryland
(9) Delaware
(10) Washington
(11) Iowa

and next....Minnesota

Red states that talk about "freedom" choose to deny it to their LGBT neighbors, co-workers and family members!!!

[awoke_in_2003]

18. Iowa is the shocker on that list...

good on them.

[davidpdx]

21. I said this after Iowa passed it, and I'll say it again..

I wonder how many more states will legalize gay marriage before Oregon finally gets off the pot and does something. My guess is there will be at least 20 on that list before Oregon. It is pretty sad. I thought we were a progressive state.

[Caeser67]

15. Good Job!

Now about that crazy Woman that's in the U.S. Congress.

[MineralMan]

16. GOTV 2014!

[question everything]

17. K & R (nt)

[Thor_MN]

19. It was real sad watching the conservatives lamenting their loss of ability to hate..

Tears in their eyes and all... Poor, poor conservative haters...

[dflprincess]

20. Yeah, that just broke my heart

Have you been over the the Strib's website and read the comments there? Several wingnuts have stated it's "time to leave Minnesota" and I have volunteered to help them pack. Then there are the ones who are convinced God is about to rain fire down up on us :eyeroll: They get especially apoplectic when someone suggests they brought this on themselves by bringing the Marriage Amendment up last year. Then there are those who are sure they will get the law repealed when (if) the GOP takes over the state again.


I've been wondering if I'm the only one who found their choice of pink for the background color of their protest signs offensive...when one remembers the pink triangles the Nazis forced Gays to wear.

[davidpdx]

22. If they are blabbering about going to Canada then I'd laugh hard

[dflprincess]

23. They haven't said anything about Canada

As a lot of them also seem to claim to be "prolife" they might just be thinking North Dakota (and ND has passed such nasty abortion laws lately). Several of them blame feminists as well as Gays for the way God is apparently planning to smite the state (no word on how they know this) so I would think any ND would currently be a good choice for them as it is anti-women. Sadly there are several backward states they could choose from.

[CatholicEdHead]

24. Yep, they are nuts over this

Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, said he fears that schools eventually will be forced to teach students about homosexuality in sex education classes, normalizing what he considers deviant behavior.

“Think about what’s best for the children,” Gruenhagen said. “Please vote for the children.”

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/206870421.html?page=2&c=y