Supporters of a proposed gay marriage
ban in Minnesota have asked the state Supreme Court to reject the
amendment's ballot title.
Last month, Minnesota Secretary of
State Mark Ritchie eschewed the amendment title proposed by its
Republican authors.
The amendment, which goes before voters
in the fall, was originally titled, “Recognition of marriage solely
between one man and one woman.”
However, state law provides that the
Secretary of State “shall provide an appropriate title” for each
constitutional amendment and further provides that “the title shall
be approved by the attorney general.”
Ritchie selected and Minnesota Attorney
General Lori Swanson approved the following title: “Limiting the
status of marriage to opposite sex couples.”
Republican lawmakers and Minnesota for
Marriage, the coalition of groups supporting the amendment, on
Monday asked the high court to reinstate the original title, saying
Ritchie exceeded his legal authority.
“I'm rather saddened to see a
secretary of state get involved in a partisan” issue, said state
Senator Warren Limmer, the amendment's chief supporter in the Senate.
“Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is
attempting to subvert the will of the people of Minnesota,” stated
Rep. Steve Drazkowski, a Republican from Mazeppa.
The title is important because only the
title and a brief description, not the entire amendment, will appear
on the ballot.
The question currently reads like this:
“LIMITING THE STATUS OF MARRIAGE TO OPPOSITE SEX COUPLES Shall
the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of
one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in
Minnesota?”
Governor Mark Dayton's supposedly
symbolic vetoing of the amendment was used as reason for the change.
(Related: Governor
Mark Dayton dreams Minnesota will reject gay marriage ban.)