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…
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…
Monday, June 25, 2012
Festival at Loring Park follows parade, consistent message of "Vote No" on the marriage amendment voiced at the parade
Monday, November 14, 2011
The 5th District rep and his DFL challenger faced tough video reviews.
Disputed Figures on Income Inequality Minnesota Public Radio said U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) was only half-right when he cited statistics about income disparities during a widely-viewed YouTube Town Hall video last week. Ellison contrasted rising income for the top 1 percent of earners with flat growth for the bottom 90 percent. MPR PoliGraph fact-checkers said Ellison's breakdown masked income growth for some within the bottom 90 percent. But a commenter disputed MPR's analysis, saying that fact-checkers were confusing individual and household income statistics. In a week's time, Ellison's video registered more than 380,000 views on YouTube. Ellison Speaks on LGBT People, Jobs and Veterans Ellison made several public appearances …
Friday, November 11, 2011
Personal stories punctuate the evening at Hopkins Center for the Arts.
More than 200 people and their stories of love, family and discrimination filled the hall Wednesday night at Hopkins Center for the Arts. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison led a panel discussion focused on the proposal to amend Minnesota's state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. That measure will be on the 2012 ballot. Panelists included Minnesota Sen. Scott Dibble; Monica Meyer, OutFront Minnesota Executive Director; Jann Garofano, a teacher involved with Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota; Phillip Miner, director of LGBT programs at the University of Minnesota; and Justin Anderson, an OutFront intern. Ellison turned the focus of the two-hour forum largely to audience members, who voiced questions, concerns and rallying calls. Ellison left the…
Monday, November 7, 2011
The 5th District representative will host a panel Wednesday in Hopkins about LGBT issues.
Last week saw Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduce two bills intended to make access to voting easier. One bill allows people to register and vote on the same day in federal elections. The other bill bans states from requiring voters to show voter idea. Ellison says the bills would prevent millions from being disenfranchised and argues that Republicans are trying to suppress historically Democrat blocs, such as youth and minority voters. “Eligible voters deserve access to the polls. By passing these bills, we can ensure our nation lives up to its ideals and protect the most fundamental right in our democracy,” he wrote in an op-ed for the Daily Kos. The proposals won praise from liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. “We are seeing some signs of…
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hopkins' congressional rep, along with Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN) asks IRS to assist LGBT couples when filing their taxes.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) joined 4th Congressional District Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN) in urging the IRS to provide same sex couples with assistance when filing their tax returns, according to an article in The Minnesota Independent. Same-sex couples who have legal relationships in at least 15 states through marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships aren’t recognized by the federal government because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), according to the article. This makes filing taxes much more complicated for those couples because of the inconsistencies between the states and federal laws. The letter stated: “The IRS has the ability to provide specific guidance to ease the complexity and uncertainty surrounding these couples…
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Procedure, not philosophy, dominated Tuesday's council discussion.
At a time when Minnesota is poised for a major debate on same-sex marriage, a proposed domestic partner registry in Hopkins is advancing without any apparent opposition. City Council members on Tuesday directed acting City Manager Jim Genellie to run the details by the city attorney and inquire how it would affect police operations. But the members’ concerns were more about logistics than philosophy. “I think providing an opportunity to recognize a domestic partnership is valuable both for the couple and for any officials that might have business with that home,” Councilman Bruce Rowan said. "I don't see any downside." Hopkins grad Peter Boisclair—now a student at Northland College, in Ashland, WI—first proposed the registry back in July. …
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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 ›