Last year’s proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman passed with a solid majority of support from voters in Aitkin. But the area’s representative, DFL Rep. Joe Radinovich, says he’s going to vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

In downtown Aitkin, some of Rodinovich’s constituents certainly are upset with him, including one man who said gay people should be rounded up and shot. "Well, it sounds to me like (Radinovich ) must be gay too. I’m totally against that," the man said. He declined to give his name.

via Minnesota Public Radio News.

Today’s Question: When is it ok for a lawmaker to vote against the will of a majority of his or her constituents?
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The Minn. House will vote on gay marriage Thursday. DFL leaders have expressed confidence, but it will require some in their ranks to cast a vote that many of their constituents don’t support.

The votes have been the most difficult to secure in the House chamber, where there appears to be little support from the 21 Republican lawmakers who live in districts that rejected the amendment last fall. So far no Republicans members in the House have committed to voting yes on gay marriage. (more…)

A spokesman for the MN House DFL Caucus says they are scheduling a Thursday floor vote for a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

— tomscheck (@tomscheck) May 7, 2013

House DFL leaders say they were not going to vote on the bill unless they were fairly certain they had the votes to pass it.

— tomscheck (@tomscheck) May 7, 2013

Minnesotans United, a group pushing to legalize same-sex marriage, is holding an interfaith vigil Weds. night. The night before the event

— tomscheck (@tomscheck) May 7, 2013

Legislation to make same-sex marriage legal in Minnesota has cleared its last committee in the state House, and a long-anticipated floor vote could be coming by the end of the week, Tim Pugmire reports for MPR News.

House DFL leaders still are not revealing their plans for the bill or whether they have the 68 votes needed to pass it. Senate DFL leaders say they have the votes to pass the bill, and may even take it up ahead of the House. The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled its own review of the bill’s fiscal note for later this morning.

Advocates on both sides of the issue have increased their lobbying efforts. Opponents of the bill gathered Monday at the Capitol to highlight what they see as a significant flaw in the proposed legislation. They claim it would inadequately protect the religious liberties of people who do not support same-sex marriage.

via Minnesota Public Radio News.

What would Minnesota be like if “marriage” was never mentioned in law? Minnesota State Rep. Tim Kelly is proposing to remove the word from law books altogether.

Kelly is revamping his proposal to allow civil unions in the state, which previously inserted “civil unions” alongside any instance of the word “marriage”  in state statute. The bill got a cold reception from gay marriage advocates earlier this month, but his new bill would eliminate “marriage” from lawbooks and enshrine “civil unions” in its place.

“The arguments [from critics] have been that I’ve created a separate but equal definition,” Kelly said. “Over the last week and a half, that has been the only real kickback. People said, ‘We understand what you are trying to do, but what you haven’t done is you don’t call it the same thing.’ By removing marriage from statute we have the same rights for everyone.”

via Politics in Minnesota.

After receiving enough votes to advance out of committees in the House and Senate, the same-sex marriage bill now heads to the full Minnesota Legislature.

Former state Rep. Lynne Osterman from New Hope voted for the Defense of Marriage Act when she served between 2002 and 2004. “I cast a politically expedient vote… and I have regretted it ever since.”

Rural Democrats, suburban Republicans expected to play important role in measure that would legalize same-sex marriage.

“I think we’re on the brink of some historic opportunity… The people of Minnesota spoke so strongly in this last election. So, I think, let’s go.”

- Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis

via Same-sex marriage debate returns to Capitol | Minnesota Public Radio News.

How activists rewrote the political playbook, reversed decades of defeat, and finally won over voters.
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Marijuana joint photo by Torben Hansen via Flickr.

“Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton remains resistant to decriminalizing the possession of marijuana for medical or recreational use, despite recent steps other states have taken to relax their laws.

“Dayton, a Democrat, addressed the issue in a wide-ranging interview Friday, Dec. 7, declaring, ‘I don’t think we need another drug operating in our society,’” via Pioneer Press.