VICTORY LAP

Minnesota Aiming For Legalized Gay Marriage In 2013

minnesotamapAfter Minnesotans voted against a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage,  Sen. John Marty will push for full marriage equality with the introduction of a bill to the state senate in January.

In addition, Minnesotans United for All Families will turn into a lobbying group to urge Minnesota lawmakers to pass the bill.

According to KARE11:

Sen. Marty will introduce a bill that would do away with Minnesota’s current Defense of Marriage Act, which passed easily in 1997, and defines marriage as solely a union between one man and one woman.

“I think the time is right. I think people are ready for it,” Marty said. “I think we’ve had some wonderful conversations around the state, and people’s minds are changing.”

“We don’t wait to give people their rights until everybody says okie-dokie we’re fine with it.,” he added. “We give people rights now. We’ve waited too long already and the public actually did ratify what we’re trying to do.”

Though Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton supports signing such a bill, he and other top Democrats have been reluctant to openly endorse a gay marriage push next year, the AP reports, citing the state budget deficit as a greater priority.

Meanwhile, anti-marriage equality group Minnesota for Marriage has pledged to undertake a vigorous grassroots campaign to deter Sen. Marty’s proposed legislation.

“I think we still have a lot of work to do to spark conversation about why marriage matters, and why we shouldn’t limit the freedom to marry,” Minnesotans United’s Roger Carlborn told Twin Cities. “But at the end of the day, voters will reward those who grant freedom and punish those who try to limit it.”

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