Wednesday, May 22, 2013
What's your take on Minnesota's higher cigarette and income taxes, same-sex marriage law, all-day kindergarten funding, gun control measures, minimum wage and more?
What do you like—or dislike—in what the Minnesota Legislature did or didn't do? Leave a comment below. The Star Tribune posted a handy list of issues the Minnesota Legislature did and didn't tackle in the session that ended Monday at midnight. Love 'em? Hate 'em? Leave a comment below. DID: DIDN'T DO: See the full post at startribune.com. Which actions the Minnesota Legislature took do you support or oppose? Leave a comment below.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Early education was a huge focus in the $15.7 billion bill, which received slivers of support from Republicans in both chambers of the state capitol.
A $15.7 billion education package that will "make life easier" for working parents, according to the bill's supporters, now awaits Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's signature as work begins to wrap up on the 2013 Legislative Session. The omnibus bill, which means one version of the bill was introduced in each chamber, was approved with small support from Republicans over the weekend, picking up five GOP votes in the state house and four more in the senate. Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope was the lone "no" vote from the DFL (Democrat) side of the aisle in the senate, creating the 41-26 margin. The bill raises the state's method of funding local schools by $156 per pupil for a total of nearly $235 million in new money over the next two years. The …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The bill includes additional money for the Public Defense Board and Minnesota’s background check database system.
Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 46) on Thursday presented a conference committee’s version of the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance Bill on the Senate floor, according to a news release from Latz’s office. The bill, which received yes votes from all but one senator, is the first of many conference committee budget packages. “These are the core functions of government and we have made strategic investments within this area,” said Latz, whose district includes Golden Valley, Hopkins, Plymouth and St. Louis Park. “We have funded the ongoing levels of their services so we will be safer and whenever we access the justice system, on the justice side or the criminal side, we should have an efficient system and one where we will all be treated …
Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature Tuesday didn’t end the heated debate around same-sex marriage.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there’s no denying that this week’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was a historical moment. Minnesota became just the 12th state to sanction gay marriage when Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday. Patch readers quickly wrote in to share their thoughts on the moment. Eagan Patch reader Kathi Malone echoed the view of legislators who voted yes in seeing same-sex marriage as a civil right: I am so happy that finally gay people will be able to have the civil right to marry. This is truly an American vote for freedom. I applaud Sen Clausen and all other legislators who voted for this historical bill. James N added: Thank you Senator Carlson and the entire MN legislature for extending …
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…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Legislation to allow gay marriage in the state cleared its final hurdle Monday, May 13. With Gov. Mark Dayton expected to sign the bill as soon as tomorrow, Minnesota will become the 12th state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry.
The Minnesota Senate approved H.F. 1054 Monday, May 13, clearing the way for Minnesota same-sex couples to marry in the state. The 37 to 30 vote, which was seen as the last hurdle for the legislation, makes Minnesota the 12th in the United States to recognize same-sex marriages in state law. Gov. Mark Dayton's office announced a signing ceremony set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. Democrats, known locally as the DFL party, hold a 39-28 advantage in the Minnesota Senate. Debate began shortly after noon Monday, with the Republican Party introducing a pair of amendments to the bill, both of which were voted down by state Democrats, who control the Senate. It quickly moved to speeches invoking personal feelings and relationships surrounding the…
Monday, May 13, 2013
The DFL legislator—whose district includes Golden Valley, Hopkins, Plymouth and St. Louis Park—appealed to fellow lawmakers to vote their conscience.
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 …
Friday, May 10, 2013
The bill now moves on to the state senate as Minnesota Democrats hope to make the state the 12th in the nation to legalize gay marriage. Gov. Mark Dayton has vocally supported the legislation.
UPDATE: Minnesota Representatives approved with a 75-59 vote Thursday a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in the state, putting it on the road to become the 12th state in the nation to do so. The vote came at about 3 p.m. Thursday, May 9, about three hours after the bill was introduced. This is about honoring difference," bill sponsor Karen Clark said. "I respect the other point of view. But there is something about being able to marry the love of your life." Clark, a Democrat from Minneapolis, recognized her partner of 26 years in the assembly's audience. The vote came nearly six months to the day after a 2012 vote on a Republican-sponsored amendment item defining marriage as a union between man and woman. That, of course, was …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Hopkins and St. Louis Park legislator offered an emotional speech on the House floor.
HOPKINS, MN -- Hopkins and St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 46B) choked back tears as he told a parable during debate Thursday on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Simon described a rabbi asking his students what is the precise moment when night ends and a new day begins. “The moment when night ends and a new day begins is the moment when you look into the face of a stranger and see the face of your brother,” Simon said in between long pauses. “Until that moment, no matter what time it is, it’s still night. But at that moment, that’s when the new day begins. I like the sound of that—a new day—and I hope we can all go there together.” In the often-emotional five-minute speech, Simon described how the gay rights movement …
The Hopkins and St. Louis Park legislator said problems would arise if state law only referred to civil unions.
Unlike so many other same-sex marriage supporters, Hopkins and St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 46B) called Rep. Tim Kelly (R-District 21A) “a friend.” But that didn’t make Simon any more likely to support Kelly’s proposal to remove the term “marriage” from state law for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Simon said Kelly’s amendment to a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage would end marriage for 2.2 million Minnesotans. “This amendment would say they are no longer married,” Simon said on the House floor. He said the measure from Kelly—who was one of the few Republicans to oppose last year’s marriage amendment—was well intentioned but that it would cause real problems, such as difficulties calculating benefits on…
Mike Hindin
8:24 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Mike B. 6:48 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013 Posted: "I wish Minnesota could just dis-enfranchise the voters of Minneapolis.St. Paul, and Duluth... we would have a much better informed and responsible statewide electorate." You would have enjoyed the Nuremberg laws. the disfranchised a lot of folks you don't approve of. I am sure you don't have the courage to try to take my voting rights away since … more ›