selfish

Tom Emmer Wants to Create Minnesota’s Constitutional Gay Marriage Ban, Not Voters

Tom Emmer, the Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate that’s threatening to take down America’s gay support of Target and Best Buy, doesn’t sound like he wants voters to be able to enact same-sex marriage bans. But c’mon, don’t we all know where this guy stands?

Emmer is the only major candidate for the position who opposes same-sex marriage, and he’s already put together his own bill that would amend the state Constitution to ban it. (The state already has 1997’s legislator-passed law banning recognition of same-sex unions.) So despite his running around the question about whether voters should have the power to enact discrimination, we know what he ultimately wants.

On Friday, Emmer and other candidates took part in a Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac debate, where this happened.

EMMER: As a citizen I have a view that is well known. As a governor, it’s not going to be up to the governor. Whether it’s somebody that says they have to oppose it, it’s not up to the governor. It’s up to the legislature. And you know what, this election is not about those issues, this election is about the economy, and it’s about jobs.

KATHY WUZRER (HOST): But there are a lot of issues in a campaign…

EMMER: People are trying to distract us from what we have to do, which is get the economy…

WUZRER: We spent the entire hour talking about the economy. Would you let voters… Do you think voters should vote on a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage?

EMMER: That would be up to the legislature.

Worth noting, of course: Emmer is trailing by nine points Democratic opponent Sen. Mark Dayton, whose family’s company started the Target store chain.

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