The Minnesota Republican-controlled legislature is poised to ask this question of its citizens on the 2012 ballot: Is marriage defined as a union of one man and one woman?
UPDATE 11/7/12: Voters Reject MN Marriage Amendment
UPDATE 3/12/13: 11-year-old Grace Evans explains the need for a mother and father to the Minnesota House Committee on Civil Law (in video):
UPDATE 10/4/13: NFL Athlete FOR Minn. Biblical Marriage Amendment
UPDATE 8/27/12: Judge slams Minn. Dems re-naming ballot question with bias
UPDATE 1/7/12: Archbishop to Priests: Support Marriage or Be Quiet
UPDATE 7/23/11: Minn. Homosexualists Hate Pro-marriage Christians
UPDATE 5/22/11: Marriage question goes to voters in 2012 as House and Senate have acted (governor irrelevant)
-- From "Constitutional gay marriage ban continues march toward Minnesota ballot, clearing House panel" by Martiga Lohn, Associated Press 5/2/11
The amendment's prospects have improved this year after last year's elections gave Republicans full control of the Legislature for the first time in nearly four decades. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton opposes the amendment but doesn't have the power to block it.
The 10-7 party-line vote by the House Civil Law Committee seemed almost preordained, with the panel's Republicans voting yes and Democrats no. Minnesota law already prohibits gay marriage and prevents the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries. But Rep. Steve Gottwalt, the bill's sponsor, said he wants voters to be the ones to define marriage in Minnesota, not lawmakers or judges.
Religious leaders of various backgrounds testified on both sides of the issue about the importance of families.
"This is not the religious law committee — this is the civil law committee," said David Cummer, an elder at Grace Trinity Community Church in Minneapolis. "You guys have not been elected to the College of Cardinals. You are not members of the state church of Minnesota."
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From "House committee passes anti-gay marriage amendment" By Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent 5/2/11
The committee heard several hours of testimony, including that of Bishop Bob Battle of the Berean Church of God in Christ. Battle said, “I don’t consider gay marriages as the same as whites not being allowed to marry blacks.”
Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, said that just like other hot-button-issue ballot measure of the past, such as abortion, the proposed amendment will not stand the test of time.
“Members you know that this is a hot issue before the voters today, and maybe it’ll get you some votes in the election a year and a half from now,” he said. “This thing is going to end up getting repealed, just like Prohibition.”
Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-St. Louis Park, said this appears like an attempt to “enshrine religious beliefs” into the Minnesota Constitution, especially considering almost all the testifiers in support were religious leaders.
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