After passage through two legislative
panels in one day, a gay marriage bill in Minnesota is headed to the
full House and Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved
the measure with a 5-3 vote, followed by the House Civil Law
Committee with a 10-7 vote.
Many of the witnesses testified before
both committees.
The issue of marriage equality has
returned to the Minnesota Capitol four months after voters in the
state became the first to reject an amendment which sought to define
marriage as a heterosexual union.
Opponents testifying at the hearing
argued that supporters were confusing opposition to the amendment
with support for marriage equality.
Pastor Gus Booth told lawmakers that
voters were “sold a false bill of goods.”
“In fact it didn't take more than a
month before the mask was pulled off and we learned that the real
objective was to defeat the amendment and then to force gay marriage
on all Minnesotans,” Booth testified.
While Democrats control both chambers
and Democratic Governor Mark Dayton is a supporter, the bill's
potential for passage in either chamber remains uncertain.