Latz to Legislature: ‘Do Not Vote Out of Fear of Your Constituents’

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 46) urged fellow legislators to listen to their own consciences, not their constituents, when deciding how to vote on the same-sex marriage proposal before the Legislature.

Latz—whose district include Golden Valley, Hopkins, Plymouth and St. Louis Park—appealed to the inner voice his fellow legislators might be hearing as they wrestled with how to vote on the controversial bill:

For those of you who are struggling with a conflict between your conscience and your politics, who know in your own mind and your own heart the right vote is to vote yes, but you’re concerned about offending a close family member or an extended family, let me submit that you’re not alone. But in the end, you will have to live with your own conscience more than with anyone else. When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you will look at your own conscience. When you go to bed at night, when you have trouble sleeping, it will be your conscience that keeps you awake or that gives you the peace of mind to sleep.

The legislator noted that constituents send legislators to the Capitol to do two, sometimes-contradictory things. The first is to represent their views in the Legislature. The second is to study up on the issues, attend the committee hearings and think deeply on topics when voters have neither the time nor the inclination to do so.

“And even when they do think deeply about these things and convey their message to us, we are here, members, ultimately I believe, to lead,” Latz said. “Sometimes leading means expressing a viewpoint that may be different than the viewpoints of the majority of our constituents. To be opinion leaders. To help educate. To help their viewpoints.”

Feeling the historical import of the day’s vote, Latz looked back to the civil rights movements of the 1960s for inspiration about what this vote means.

“Members, in my humble judgment, this is, indeed, the civil rights issue of our generation. We are on the cusp of making an historic decision about what kind of civil rights we will live with, what kind of society we will live in,” he said. “Do not vote out of fear of your constituents—or even of your family. Vote out of your own personal strength—for what you know in your mind and in your heart is the right thing to do for the wellbeing of the people around us and for society.”

The measure passed in the Senate on a 37 to 30 vote following passage in the House on Thursday. Gov. Mark Dayton said he will sign the bill into law. The law would take affect on Aug. 1 of this year.