Breaking: Minnesota House approves Marriage Equality Bill

[MineralMan]

75-59. The Senate will vote on Monday, and passage is assured. The Governor will sign.

Minnesota will be #12!

[hrmjustin]

1. Glad to hear it!

[MineralMan]

2. Yup. It is a good thing.

The wave moves on toward the shore.

[hrmjustin]

3. It would be great if a southern state would lead the way as well.

[MineralMan]

4. I suspect that's a bit further down the road.

It may take a national decision to force it.

[hrmjustin]

5. Maybe the court will force them soon. I hope so!

[LeftofObama]

6. Great news!

Thanks for posting this!

[MineralMan]

7. I've been listening to WCCO radio all afternoon,

knowing they'd be the first to announce the vote.

[MNBrewer]

8. Any links showing Senate leaders saying they have the votes locked up?

I haven't seen any but haven't looked that hard either.

Hope Gov. Dayton has his "bill-signin' pen" warmed up for Monday.

[MineralMan]

10. I do not have links.

However, every local news outlet is saying the same thing, so i
I am counting on it. Given the Senate makeup, I cannot imagine they will do anything else.

[MNBrewer]

13. I'll count this chicken after it's hatched :)

[MNBrewer]

9. 4 Republicans voted Yes, 2 Democrats voted No.

Kudos to the 4 Republicans, Fie Upon the 2 Democrats.

[MineralMan]

11. Yes. I have nt seen the names yet.

[MNBrewer]

12. Patti Fritz of Faribault and Mary Sawatzky of Willmar

"The two House DFLers who voted no, Patti Fritz of Faribault and Mary Sawatzky of Willmar, both come from districts where a majority of voters supported last fall's unsuccessful constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. They both said ahead of time they would vote against it.

No Republicans had publicly backed the bill before the vote. But yes votes came from David FitzSimmons of Albertville, Pat Garofalo of Farmington, Andrea Kieffer of Woodbury and Jenifer Loon of Eden Prairie.

FitzSimmons offered a successful amendment on the floor that added additional religious-freedom protections and inserted the word "civil" in front of "marriage" to underscore that state law deals with a civil, not a religious, status. It affects all marriages."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_23206566/minnesota-house-gay-marriage-showdown-crowds-already-gathering

[MineralMan]

14. Primary those two.

Not anywhere near my district, though.

[RKP5637]

15. Yea!!!

[MNBrewer]

16. Senate convenes at noon on Monday, May 13, and debate will begin shortly afterward.

It seems sure to pass and the Governor has said he will sign it. We may be getting married here in August of this year.

[MineralMan]

17. From checking around, I don't think there's any

question about the Senate. Congratulations will be in order in August for many couples, I'm certain.

I'll be listening intently to WCCO 830, since they'll probably be the first to announce. Minnesota should have been one of the first, but they're coming around now, so it's all good.

[MNBrewer]

18. I'm pissed that Iowa beat us to it