(VIDEO) Latz: Gay Marriage Ban Would Hurt Local Business Climate

The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow voters to decide in 2012 whether the state's constitution should ban gay marriage.

The vote was 38-27, falling almost entirely along party lines. Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-District 1) was the only DFLer to vote in favor of the bill. No Republicans voted against.

St. Louis Park Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) spoke against the proposal, saying a constitutional ban is wrong morally and will give Minnesota a bad image. He added that this will be particularly noticeable in the business realm, as the senator said he thinks potential workers coming to Minnesota from other states would frown on gay marriage being constitutionally banned.

"Many (Minnesota) Fortune 500 companies have (domestic partner) benefits. They find it an important recruiting tool," Latz said. "This amendment, if passed, would send a strong message, and precisely the wrong message, to potential employees around the world that Minnesota is not a welcoming place."

Supporters of the bill have argued that it should be up to the people of Minnesota—not the legislature—to define what marriage is.

The House has yet to have a floor vote on the same issue, but senators on Wednesday sounded confident that it will pass there, too, which would put the issue on the ballot. Latz said that means opponents of the ban will have to be active leading up to the next election.

“We’ll do all we can to shape that outcome," the senator said. "I think we’re going to win it.”