Politics & Government

Simon Featured in Video Against Marriage Proposal

Pending legislation would put a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage up for a vote in 2012.

A video of St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon voicing his opposition to a constitutional ban on gay marriage in the state—during which he elicited cheers for asking, “"How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?"—has been viewed 500,000 times on YouTube.

Now, that question, as well as other Simon snippets, is being used in a video urging Minnesotans to vote against the ban in 2012, when it will likely be on the ballot.

The video, which is connected to the Vote No Minnesota campaign, runs about two minutes and features a number of lawmakers voicing their opposition, including openly gay Sen. Scott Dibble, a DFLer from Minneapolis.

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Last week, the Minnesota Senate voted 38-27 in favor of a bill that would allow voters to decide whether a gay marriage ban should be added to the state’s constitution. The House was expected to pass its version of the bill Thursday afternoon, but the vote was delayed. If the House passes the measure, it will definitely be up for a vote in 2012—Gov. Mark Dayton has said he opposes the amendment, but governors can't block lawmakers from putting constitutional amendments on the ballot.


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