The Minnesota
senate judiciary committee on Tuesday turned aside a
proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex
marriage and its legal equivalents in the state. The
committee didn't directly reject the proposed
amendment, which has been an emotional issue in recent
years. Instead, it rejected a reworked version of the
amendment. The new version would have prohibited the
judicial branch from having jurisdiction over defining
marriage, stipulating that the legislature has the
power. The measure failed on a 5-4 vote in the
committee, which has a Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party majority.
The vote came
after some 90 minutes of testimony on the original proposed
amendment. At a packed hearing open only to ticketed
observers, gay rights supporters pointed out that the
state already has a law outlawing same-sex marriage
and that the state constitution is not the place to
deny rights to citizens.
Backers of the
measure said that traditional marriage is under assault by
judicial decisions around the country and that the
constitution is the only way to ensure a judge doesn't
overturn Minnesota's law.
Sponsors of the
amendment knew they faced long odds in the judiciary
committee and have vowed to keep pushing to bring the fight
directly to the floor of the senate. But that body's
DFL majority has repeatedly united against such
efforts.
Even if it's not
on the November ballot, same-sex marriage is still
likely to be part of the debate in some election contests.
Amendment supporters have promised to use the issue
against DFL senators from rural districts, where
opposition to marriage equality is generally higher.
On the other
side, some suburban Republicans have distanced themselves
from the amendment, cognizant of the socially moderate swing
voters that they need to win reelection. (AP)