Connecting the dots

With the MN Marriage amendment having been shot down in November, it conceivably cleared a path to make same-sex marriage legal in the state of Minnesota. Gov. Mark Dayton has even gone on the record saying he would sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriage if indeed the MN Legislature (now completely controlled by the Governor's fellow Democrats) passes such a measure. Even though the current legislative session is only three weeks along, there has been no indication that DFLers will consider such a bill. Since every single DFL legislator (except one) opposed the Marriage amendment (which, if it were passed by MN voters, would've made marriage strictly between one woman and one man) in 2011, it seemed only natural they would knock out that issue week one since they now control both the House and Senate.

In the grand scheme of things, it may not be the wisest thing politically for the DFL to resolve this issue for at least a couple of reasons.

• The Democrats would no longer have the issue to use as a proverbial bloody shirt when slamming their GOP opponents as people who want to deny a gay couple two people who love each other from having a life together. 

 

• If gay marriage did become legal in Minnesota, the risk for Democrats is gay couples will start to focus upon the aspects of life with which heterosexual couples already concern themselves: financially supporting their families. Can you imagine the Governor's sales tax base broadening kicking in around the same time gay marriage becomes legal? Now that they're free to marry legally, Jim & Steve are awakened to the harsh reality that they have to pay sales tax on their wedding planning services. Oh, and don't forget, Jim & Steve may also want to add children to the mix. So when the Governor and his DFL legislature (bought and paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota) pass a law unionizing home day care services, to whom do you think the extra costs will be passed to cover the extra business expense that is union dues? The parents of course. 

Remember when the Democrats (specifically Sen. Tom Bakk, now the Senate Majority Leader) and their supporters shrieked that gay people's civil rights would be infringed upon if marriage in Minnesota were simply between an opposite sex couple? Guess what? Gay marriage is still illegal, yet the DFL is doing nothing to right that wrong even though they have the complete power to do so.

Why is the DFL denying two people who love each other the right to be married?

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