One of Michele Bachmann’s political goals might be close to
realization. No, not election to the presidency (yet). Recently the
Minnesota House passed a bill that will allow voters to cast their
ballot for an amendment to the state constitution to ban gay
marriage in Minnesota. The legislation was first proposed by
Bachmann as a state senator in 2003. It now stands as a major test
for both social conservatives and gay rights activists in the
debate over same-sex marriage.
For decades, the state of Minnesota has defined marriage
as a union between a man and a woman. The state supreme court has
even upheld this traditional definition. But supporters of the
proposed amendment say an explicit prohibition of same-sex marriage
needs to be written into the constitution to prevent it from being
imposed by either judges or lawmakers down the road.
Predictably, the bill has sparked a heated political
confrontation. After a nearly six-hour debate,
two DFL (Democrat) legislators voted for the bill and four
Republicans voted against the bill, which will appear as a
referendum on the November 2012 ballot. Though the bill passed
70-62, a May 13 Minneapolis Star Tribune poll asked people
if they “would favor or oppose… amending the Minnesota Constitution
to ban same-sex marriage.” Fifty-five percent answered “oppose.”
Conservative Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten
blames the outcome of the poll on the negative language; the actual
ballot language uses more positive terms: “Only a union of one man
and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in
Minnesota.”
Already, several groups like OutFront Minnesota and
Minnesotans United For All Families are gearing up for an 18-month
long campaign to ensure the Minnesotans vote “no” on the
amendment. Local and national organizations are
predicting millions of dollars will be spent to sway voters either
way. Tom Pritchard of the Minnesota Family Council believes
organizations like his will have to roll up their sleeves to
guarantee the amendment passes, but he’s optimistic it
will.
While lawmakers hope for a civil debate among Minnesotans
for the next several months, that might already
be wishful thinking. Bradlee Dean, a local radio-show host and
preacher who has made anti-gay comments in the past, opened the day
before the vote’s session in prayer in the house chamber and
questioned President Obama’s faith. That comment, coupled with his
previous statements regarding gays, incited an immediate uproar.
The speaker of the house, Kurt Zellers, expunged Dean’s prayer from
the record and released a statement apologizing for Dean’s
presence.
Though Bachmann has represented Minnesota in Congress
since 2006, she didn’t hesitate to show excitement over the bill’s
pending passage. Before it passed in the house,
she Tweeted: “As a MN state senator I introduced a constitutional
marriage amendment; 8 years later it’s finally coming up for a
vote.” Bachmann’s involvement was no doubt critical in its
initiation, but the passage of the bill is due largely to the new
Republican majority in the legislature.
Still, not every Republican was on board. One of the two
Republicans to break with his party and oppose the marriage bill
was Rep. John Kriesel, an Iraq war veteran, young lawmaker, and
family man. In his five-minute speech declaring why he would “Press
the hell no button, if there was one,” Kriesel said equality took
precedence over party. He told the story of a
fellow veteran who died this year in Afghanistan and who was gay.
He couldn’t fathom telling this person’s family their loved one was
good enough to fight for his country but wasn’t “good enough to
marry the person [he] loved.” Stories like that are at the root of
the gay marriage debate. No doubt they will abound as the vote
draws near.
Indeed, the outcome of the vote could serve as a
temperature gauge for the country’s opinion on social issues.
Though fiscal issues will probably trump debate over social ones
next fall, the nation still remains divided on gay marriage. A
recent Gallup
poll found 53% — the first time the
majority of Americans — support gay marriage. Yet 31 states
(including California) have amendments to their constitution like
the one Minnesotans will vote on next
cycle. While legal in five states (including
Iowa), gay marriage has never been approved by popular vote. (Or
has been rejected by the voters everywhere it has been put on the
ballot.)
Time will tell how Minnesotans feel about a constitutional
amendment over such a controversial issue. For now, credit is due
to Bachmann, but to especially the Republican (and few Democrat)
legislators responsible for giving the people of Minnesota the
chance to voice their opinion on the matter once and for
all.
