Late yesterday afternoon, the Minnesota House Majority comm department notified media that HF1054, state representative Karen Clark's marriage equality bill, would be heard Monday, May 6, by the Ways and Means Committee.
The committee will meet at 10:00 a.m. in Room 200 of the State Office Building, but take up the bill in the afternoon after the committee reconvenes following the day's floor session.
A hearing by the Ways and Means committee makes it more likely that the bill will go to the floor for a vote before the close of the session. On Friday, May 3, Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) and Peter Fischer (DFL-Maplewood) were added as co-sponsors of the bill and once-undecided Democrat, Minnesota for Marriages's legislator of the day, Joe Radinovich (DFL-Crosby) announced his yes vote.
Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports in Same-sex marriage bill to receive another committee hearing:
The Minnesota House has scheduled another committee hearing for a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota.
The House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a Monday hearing for the bill after a fiscal analysis found legalizing same-sex marriage would cost the state money.
Minnesota Management and Budget predicts that legalizing same-sex marriage would result in 114 more people enrolling for state benefits for their married partners. Fiscal agents estimate the added benefits would cost $688,378 a year.
The fiscal note also projected that 5,186 same-sex couples would get married over the next two years if same-sex marriage were legalized in Minnesota on August 1. The estimate found that couples paying the $90 marriage licenses would generate roughly $190,135 to the state's general fund and another $146,930 to other special revenue funds.
Representative Lyndon Carlson chairs the Ways and Means committee. Several undecided rural Democrats serve on the committee, including Paul Marquart of Dilworth, Gene Pelowski of Winona, and Jeanne Poppe of Austin. While Marquart (59.60% yes) and Poppe (57.15% yes) serve in districts that voted for the amendment, Pelowski represents a district that turned it down (44.34% yes). Andy Birkey has more at the Colu.mn in Minnesota House committee to hear marriage equality bill Monday, bill likely to pass.
Although there's little time to contact these committee members, their contact information is at the links below (be polite in email and phone calls; we'd recommend polite emails sent today, since no one is working today to answer the phones at the Capitol):
Several suburban Republicans whose districts voted against the amendment serve on the Ways and Means Committee as well. Although no member of the minority caucus in the Minnesota House has come out to support marriage equality, those from districts that turned down the amendment might be reminded of the choice voters made in November.
They are:
Sarah Anderson, 44A 40.42% yes on amendment
Michael Beard 55A 46.54% yes on amendment
Matt Dean 38B 45.27% yes on amendment
Bob Dettmer 39A 47.98% yes on amendment
Jenifer Loon 48B 40.18% yes on amendment
Denny McNamara 54B 47.47% yes on amendment
Again, time is short, but those who wish to contact them can find info at the link under each member's name; be polite in emails and phone calls.
McNamara (Hastings) is a co-author of HF1687, the first civil unions bill submitted by Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Red Wing). Unlike Kim Norton--whose name is stricken on the first iteration and a co-author of HF1805--McNamara didn't sign on Kelly's replacement "civil unions for everybody" bill that was offered days after the first bill reserved marriage for straight couples, while allowing both straight and gay/lesbians to enter into legally recognized civil unions.
The first bill was criticized for creating "separate but equal" arrangments for gay or lesbian couples who want to marry. Kelly responded with a bill that would "take government out of marriage."
Here's the fiscal note:
Photo: Will the gay heirs of Paul Bunyan's legacy be able to marry in Minnesota soon? 56-year old Larry Duncan and 48-year old Randy Shepherd receive their marriage license in Washington State in December. Photograph by Meryl Shenker.
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