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March 28th - A flurry of "anti-marriage" amendments have been
introduced in the Minnesota Legislature, and a Senate hearing scheduled.
In the House:
In recent days, proponents of measures to amend the state constitution
to prohibit any form of legal recognition of same-sex couples and their
families have introduced over a half-dozen bills proposing different
language to place on the fall ballot, all of which have the same
general, discriminatory, purpose as the originals.
We await information on when the
House Civil Law Committee will schedule hearing(s) on these bills. It is
thought that the sudden flood of new amendment bills is a tactic being
used in light of recent poll results showing diminishing support for the
amendment, of the People of Faith rally last week, and of the
possibility that the Senate might not approve any amendments at all.
Take Action!
- Please contact your state representative and express your
opposition to these proposals to write discrimination into the state
constitution! View a
complete list of house memebers to locate phone, mail, fax, and
e-mail information for your representative. Don't know who
represents you in the Minnesota Senate? You can find your
legislative district as well as contact information by using our
district finder. We also have
tips on writing your legislators and
talking points.
- Plan to take part in this year's Lobby
Day at the State Capitol! With an unprecedented number of bills
designed to strip same-sex couples and their families of any hope
for legal recognition, we need an unprecedented turnout on Thursday,
April 27! Don't forget - the legislative session is not expected to
end until May 22, and we will need to be vigilant through then!
In The Senate:
At the same time, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing
on Senator Michele Bachmann's proposed amendment (SF 1691), which has
been pending there since 2005. The Committee hearing will take place
Tuesday, April 4, from 12:00-2:30pm in Room 15 of the State Capitol.
OutFront Minnesota will once again coordinate testimony against the
bill, while the Minnesota Family Council coordinates speakers in favor.
Testimony on both sides will likely come from a relative handful of
people with particular familiarity with legal and other aspects of the
proposals. While community members are encouraged to attend, please be
aware that Capitol security forbids bringing signs attached to sticks.
Given the likely high attendance at this hearing, most people may find
themselves in designated overflow spaces in the Capitol. Parents,
grandparents, and other relatives and friends of GLBT individuals are
encouraged to bring with them photographs of their family members who
are likely to be harmed by the amendment were it to pass.
Take Action!
- Plan to attend the Senate committee hearing April 4!
- If you have not already done so, please contact your state
senator to express your opposition to these proposals to use the
constitution to impose second-class citizenship on same-sex couples
and their families! View a
complete list of senate memebers to locate phone, mail, fax, and
e-mail information for your senator. Don't know who represents you
in the Minnesota Senate? You can find your legislative district as
well as contact information by using our
district finder. We also have
tips on writing your legislators and
talking points.
- Ask five friends to contact their senators and representatives
on these issues.
- Write a letter to the editor of your
local newspaper expressing opposition to these amendment proposals.
- Plan to take part in this year's Lobby
Day at the State Capitol! With an unprecedented number of bills
designed to strip same-sex couples and their families of any hope
for legal recognition, we need an unprecedented turnout on Thursday,
April 27! Don't forget - the legislative session is not expected to
end until May 22, and we will need to be vigilant through then!
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