Breaking: The Minnesota House has passed the Marriage Equality bill

[MineralMan]

Just announced on WCCO. 75 year and 59 Nay.

[MineralMan]

1. The state senate will vote on Monday,

and it is certain that it will pass in that house of the legislature. Governor Dayton has promised to sign the bill.

MINNESOTA WILL BE #12!!

[closeupready]

2. Will the governor sign, or veto?

On edit, never mind, I see you answered at the same time.

K&R

[MineralMan]

3. Yes, Governor Dayton will sign.

I've not heard anyone claim that it will not pass in the Senate, and am certain it will.

[BainsBane]

5. He'll sign

DFL in House, Senate, and the Governor's House!

[MineralMan]

4. Kick. This is big news.

Excellent news.

[sarisataka]

6. I know at least

two couples planning weddings. Good day in MN

[MineralMan]

7. It is. It seems certain that the Senate will pass,

and the Governor has already said he'd sign it. I'm calling it a done deal.

[sarisataka]

11. I agree

do you know, will it go into effect immediately after Dayton signs or later in the year?

[MineralMan]

19. August 1.

[MNBrewer]

26. I'll call it a done deal when it's a done deal, regardless of how promising it looks right now

Never thought I'd be able to get married. Now all of a sudden it seems like I might have that option for the first time in my life, as a 48 year old.

[MineralMan]

8. Kick

[BainsBane]

9. When will the Senate vote, MM?

[MineralMan]

10. The Senate votes on Monday.

By all accounts, there is no reason to think it won't pass handily. Governor Dayton has promised to sign it as soon as it has passed. This seems to be a sure thing at this point. Still, I'll be following the Senate vote on Monday, as I work.

[madinmaryland]

12. Will there be a referendum to see if it stands?

How is Michelle Bachmann handling this!!!

[FunkyLeprechaun]

13. My friend was actually behind Bachmann

as they were doing the vote. She said it was the icing on the cake (she's pro-gay marriage).

[madinmaryland]

14. You are referring to your friend and not Bachmann, correct??

[FunkyLeprechaun]

16. Yes, of course!

[madinmaryland]

17. Whew! Just making sure!

[MineralMan]

18. No referendum.

It becomes law when the Governor signs it.

[madinmaryland]

20. We had a referendum after the law passed. The referendum failed which then affirmed the law.

Didn't know if that kind of thing could happen in MN.

[MineralMan]

22. Only for constitutional amendment here.

[madinmaryland]

24. Would such an amendment pass and would it actually be proposed?

[Mister Ed]

29. The GOP got that referendum on the 2012 ballot. It went down in flames, and so did they.

The GOP controlled both houses of the state legislature from 2010 to 2012. After Democratic Governor Mark Dayton vetoed their marriage-discrimination bill, they upped the ante and got a referendum on the 2012 ballot to chisel marriage discrimination into the stone of the state constitution, where it would have been very hard to erase.

They thought they had a winner. They thought that referendum would bring out their party faithful, and that they could ride anti-gay sentiment to a big victory at the polls.

It backfired on them. Big time. We defeated their bigoted amendment, and we threw them out of both houses of the legislature. Once the people had spoken, I think even timid politicians were emboldened and encouraged to do the right thing. The tide has turned.

[Apophis]

15. I'm proud of my state!

[Brickbat]

21. K&R. So proud.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. K&R

[Iliyah]

25. Dems working for civil rights for

all Americans and GOPers are working hard to take away American's rights, i.e. voting and women's body's.

[nytemare]

27. Marcus Bachmann will be ecstatic.

On a serious note, I'm glad to see so many states adopting these laws so gays / lesbians can marry. These are great victories for civil rights.

[Nye Bevan]

28. As a CT resident (marriage equality since November 2008)

a hearty "welcome aboard"!