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| Date: | May 11, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR NELSON STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT |
St. Paul- The Minnesota State Senate passed the Marriage Amendment Wednesday by a bipartisan vote of 38 to 27. S.F. 1308, authored by State Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), would give Minnesotans the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage in the 2012 Election. Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) gave the following statement on the bill's passage:
"The definition of marriage is a very important issue, it has come up several times in the legislature over the past decade. I recognize that there are a variety of perspectives on the issue and that's why I wanted to make sure that the people of Minnesota have a chance to weigh in instead of leaving it to a handful legislators or judges.
While I believe that the legislature should focus on jobs and the economy right now, this bill was brought forward and I felt it was important to ensure constituents in Senate District 30 had a say in the matter. My colleague, Senator Latz, brought forward an amendment that would make it so judges could not change existing marriage laws and I voted for his amendment. Unfortunately, his amendment did not pass.
With today's bipartisan passage, I hope that all groups involved remain respectful so that Minnesota voters can engage in a thoughtful discussion over the next year in our statewide community prior to the 2012 General Election."
Senator Nelson was elected to her first term in November 2010. Senator Nelson can be reached at: 651-296-4848 (office) or sen.carla.nelson@senate.mn.
