Breaking News: Amendment Name Change Reversed
In a sad turn of events, the Minnesota Supreme court found that Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie, overstepped his role by assigning a new title to both the Voter ID and marriage amendments on ballots this fall.
On June 28, Ritchie announced that he was changing the title of the mean-spirited marriage amendment to read: “Limiting the status of marriage to opposite sex couples.” He shared that this more accurately reflected the intent of the amendment.
Less than two weeks later, Minnesota for Marriage brought a lawsuit against Ritchie and others claiming that he had overstepped his legal bounds.
Fast forward to today, less than two months from when this all started, and the Supreme Court has reversed Ritchie’s decision. That means, the original title of the amendment will appear on ballots this fall: “Recognition of Marriage Solely Between One Man and One Woman.” It’s unfortunate, because the word “recognition” creates the perception that this amendment is actually a good thing. However, once you start to dig a little deeper, you quickly realize how troubling this amendment truly is.
Considering that polls already show amendment supporters have a fairly large lead, this latest setback is disappointing.
Minnesota marriage amendment to pass?
According to new polling numbers released July 22, amendment supporters now have a 15 point lead. The survey, conducted through SurveyUSA and KSTP-TV, found that 52 percent of respondents indicated that they would be voting for the amendment while only 37 percent opposed.
Many will argue, “Oh, this is just one poll…” but the reality is, these numbers are similar to what many other states have seen in their amendment fights.
Minnesota (and our friends and allies in other states), it’s time to take notice. We need to make sure our voices are louder than ever, that we’re telling our stories, that we’re talking to friends and family and that we’re out there in the workplace and communities talking about why this amendment is so bad for Minnesota.
Election day is just over 100 days away. The clock is ticking.
Note: additional information on the survey can be found at twincities.com.
Minnesota Marriage Amendment Remains
I offered them the chance to see the error in their ways, to correct their mistake of putting it on the ballot…
Senator Mary Jo McGuire, February 15, 2012
Source: DFL Press Conference
Senator McGuire, in response to the bill that would have removed the marriage amendment from Minnesota voters’ ballots in 2012. Unfortunately, the repeal did not pass and equality for the minority will be up for a majority vote this November.
Amendment Repeal Rejected
I’m not sure why this didn’t get more news coverage this past week, but I just learned that our hopes for this mean-spirited amendment to be removed from the ballot this November are no more. This past Wednesday, Mary Jo McGuire issued a statement that the repeal had been rejected.
You may remember that in January, I posted an article when the bill to repeal the amendment was proposed. We knew that there was little hope for the repeal to happen, but with the events of the past two weeks around this country, maybe there was a chance. Sadly, that chance is no more.
So, we’ll just have to take to the polls this NOvember and show the nation that Minnesotans stand for fairness and equality – and history will remember us for our vote.
NJ Governor Christie Vetoes Gay Marriage Bill
As I posted earlier this week, New Jersey took a major step forward this week in terms of gay marriage. Both the state Senate and sate Assembly voted in favor to allow gay marriage. However, within a couple of hours of the bill hitting Governor Chris Christie’s desk for signature, he quickly vetoed it.
It’s unfortunate that the governor would let his own personal ideology infringe on the rights of thousands of New Jerseyans,’’ said Reed Gusciora, one of two openly gay New Jersey lawmakers and a sponsor of the bill. “For all those who oppose marriage equality, their lives would have been completely unchanged by this bill, but for same-sex couples, their lives would have been radically transformed. Unfortunately, the governor couldn’t see past his own personal ambitions to honor this truth.’’
2 steps forward, 1 step back. Don’t get discouraged New Jersey. It’ll happen.
Minnesota to Pass Gay Marriage Ban
Here’s a truly fantastic article that looks at how likely it will be thatMinnesotawill pass the marriage amendment in November. The last 3 polls run show that Minnesota voters are likely to pass this hurtful and hateful amendment this fall.
If you want to argue with the poll numbers… The reality is this: Every state where one of these amendments have passed (31 of them), found that poll numbers under-represented the number of voters that actually voted for the measure. So while recent polls hover right around 47-48 percent in favor of this hateful amendment, we will more likely see support in the mid-to-high 50s.
This is why I continue to talk about this to friends and co-workers. It’s also the same reason I continue to encourage others to talk about it with their friends and co-workers.
While I might sound like a broken record, people need to understand that it’s not looking good right now in this great state of Minnesota.
Santorum Wins at Minnesota Caucus
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say, “But no one really came out to vote, that’s the only reason he won.” People! That is not the point. This guy is a scary force in the fight against GLBT equality – and if he gains traction and support, of any kind, it’s not good for our cause.
This is especially unnerving to me considering the fact that we have a HUGE fight on our hands this NOvember at the polls as we vote on whether or not we amend our constitution to define marriage in the state of Minnesota.
Make no mistake, Rick Santorum wants to take away the rights of gays and lesbians. This win is not good news, regardless of how many people turned out to vote.
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Tweets
- Check out what a visitor to the site asked me to pass along to Father Mike Tegeder. RT if you agree. #minnesota #voteno
http://t.co/4iqhrFX211/09/2012 - #Minnesota nice? Yeah, we #voteno twice! Congratulations to to Minnesota for standing on the right side of history!11/07/2012
- #Minnesota #marriageamendment 78% reporting. #voteno at 50%; yes side has 49%. It's going to be a while before we call this one...11/07/2012
- #Minnesota #marriageamendment 47% reporting. Spread narrows. #voteno side still at 49%; yes side has increased their support to 47%.11/07/2012
- Check out what a visitor to the site asked me to pass along to Father Mike Tegeder. RT if you agree. #minnesota #voteno
