Click on photo to watch Senator Jeff Hayden try to repeal an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment slated to be on the fall ballot.
The motion by Senator Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) was defeated on an 8-5 party line vote.
Click on photo to hear how Senator Mary Jo McGuire tried to repeal anti-gay marriage amendment
Republicans didn’t bite and voted 8-6 against a repeal of the “marriage amendment” that will be on the fall ballot.
Senator Mary Jo McGuire offered up the repeal during the debate on the voter photo ID amendment to give Republicans a chance “to see the error in their ways, to correct their mistake of putting it on the ballot. I think they might have regretted they had done this when they realized what they had actually done.
Senator McGuire said sometimes when people suddenly have the power to do something they just do it “without thinking of the consequences. So I was giving them the chance that once they appreciated the consequences of that amendment, they could correct that.”
Click on photo to hear what DFL caucus goers are concerned and optimistic about
Most of the attention was on the so called Defense of Marriage Amendment that would constitutionally prohibit same sex marriages and the proposed Voter ID Amendment which would disenfranchise 200,000 Minnesota voters, Caucus turnout was less than 4 years ago, but the rooms were filled with enthusiasm.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak remembers what it was like four years ago. … Continue Reading
Click photo of David Senjem to hear his thoughts on passing more constitutional amendments.
Republicans have already put an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the fall ballot and have introduced bills to put a voter photo ID and and anti-union amendment on the ballot.
Senator Senjem says there is no question that the voter photo ID constitutional amendment will be on this November’s general election ballot.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen says Republicans should focus on job creation instead of constitutional amendments.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Minneapolis & St. Paul and the Catholic Dioceses of New Ulm contributed $700,000 last year to support an anti-gay Minnesota constitutional amendment.
The church claims that money has not come from contributions it has received through its parishes, but from investment income.
The constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman, effectively banning gay or lesbian marriage, is scheduled to be on this November’s general election ballot. Half of that money, $350,000 has been donated to Minnesota For Marriage which is spearheading the push to get the constitutional amendment approved.
Minnesota For Marriage has also received $226,000 from it’s closely related Minnesota Family Council and $250,000 from the National Organization For Marriage fund. Minnesota for Marriage’s report only list seven individuals who donated for a total of $2,119.
The opposition, Minnesotans United For All Families has raised more than $1.2 million, but lists many more individual donors.
Fundraising reports for groups on both sides of the amendment battle were released by the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board today
Minnesotans United For All Families Report
Minnesota For Marriage Report
Click to hear how right-wingers are trying to discriminate against gays and lesbians in Iowa.
Same sex marriage became legal in Iowa two years ago when the state’s supreme court unanimously ruled not allowing it would be discriminatory. Since then, conservative groups have put Iowa in their bullseye,says Price, trying to take away marriage equality.
A million dollars of out of state money was used in recalling three of the Supreme Court justices, $200,000 of that from now presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
This past year the Republican controlled Iowa House has tried to pass several bills that would discriminate against gays and lesbians says Price. Democrats hold control of the Senate, so those bills never became law.
One of the proposed laws would have allowed businesses to deny goods and services to married couples based upon religion. Another would have prevented any marriage licenses to same sex couples until there was a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.
The anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment did not pass the legislature either.
 Workers' Rights Supporter In Madison Wisconsin - Photo by Natalie Rosen |
 Representative Steve Simon talks about gay marriage |
 Sparking Occupy Wall Street-Robert Reich debunks six right-wing "lies" |
 Tornado Hits Economically Depressed Minneapolis Neighborhood |
At the end of every year at The UpTake we’ve traditionally highlighted the most interesting videos of the year. But this year, several big stories transcended any one video. So instead, we’re looking back at those stories we covered that have had the most impact.
… Continue Reading
Click on photo to listen to Senate Majority Leader David Senjem on anti-gay marriage amendment
“Oh we didn’t get into that” said Senjem, referring to the 11-hour closed door debate among Republican Senators that preceded his election. “It’s way too early to talk about that. No I think this caucus and certainly the House is on record on that and in my mind that’s in the well and I don’t think we’re ready to consider that right now.”
Senator Senjem replaces former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch who resigned her post after having “inappropriate relations” with a male senate staffer. Governor Mark Dayton suggests that Koch’s affair at the same time she was working to pass the anti-gay marriage amendment in the Senate was hypocritical.
“I think it underscores that sanctity of marriage is important to most Minnesotans and people who are in same-sex relationships believe in that sanctity also and want a chance to participate in the sanctity in the same way as heterosexual couples,” Dayton told Minnesota Public Radio’s All Things Considered.
“I will say, before you take out the speck in your neighbor’s eye, take the log out of your own eye. Somebody whose conduct doesn’t measure up to what they’re professing to believe in or prescribing for others, then they should be called on that”, said Dayton.
Governor Dayton reacts to Senjem’s election. … Continue Reading
Click photo to watch Governor Dayton's news conference on anti-bullying commission
Press release from Governor Dayton’s office:
To address the serious problem of bullying in our schools, Governor Mark Dayton signed Executive Order 11-33 today, establishing the Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying. This task force will be charged with examining the best practices and policies that currently exist to prevent bullying and providing future recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on this subject. Governor Dayton was joined at the announcement by Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, Public Safety Commissioner Mona Doman, Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey, Rep. Jim Davnie, Sen. Scott Dibble and anti-bullying advocate Tammy Aaberg.
“Bullying causes severe suffering and harm to the children, who are its victims; and we must do more to stop it. Children and parents in Minnesota should have confidence that their schools are safe places for learning and are free of harm or intimidation. The work of this Task Force is critical to ensuring that a healthy and nurturing school environment exists for every child in our state,” said Governor Dayton.
Mother of bullying victim supports Governor’s action … Continue Reading
Click photo to watch MN Attorney General Lori Swanson talk about the anti-bully bill
Hot off the congressional presses, President Obama quickly signs the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.”
Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann holds a news conference at the State Capitol to discuss allegations of Medicaid fraud.
” We need to make it as easy as we can for our companies to create more jobs in America, not overseas. And that starts with our tax code.” —President Obama in his weekly address
“Because you reminded people what it means to have 40 bucks taken out of your paycheck every week, it got done.”—President Obama on Congress passing payroll tax cut.
Bringing back jobs to America from oversees, or “insourcing” is key to an economic recovery says President Obama.
“Congress needs to stop this middle class tax hike from happening. Period. No drama. No delay.” —President Obama in his weekly address.
The federal government and 49 state attorneys general have reached a landmark $25 billion agreement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers to address mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuses.
President Obama announces ten states have agreed to implement bold reforms around standards and accountability will receive flexibility from the most burdensome mandates of the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind.
The President meets an 8th grader named Joey from Phoenix, AZ at the White House Science Fair and the two launch a marshmallow across the state dining room with Joey’s science project – an air cannon.
The housing crisis has been the single largest drag on America’s economic recovery. President Obama wants to fix that fairly for homeowners who have been responsible, but not the ones who took out huge mortgages or bought multiple homes.
Senator Richard Cohen (DFL-St. Paul) said without additional legislation detailing how voter photo ID would work, the bill was a “pig in a poke”.
Minnesota will be creating a “cottage industry of voting lawsuits” if the current proposed voter photo ID amendment becomes law says Carolyn Jackson, Lobbying Coordinator with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.
DFL lawmakers make a second attempt to repeal the Minnesota constitutional amendment on marriage that is on this fall’s ballot, this time to “pay for” the unknown cost of the voter photo ID constitutional amendment.
A proposal to give Minnesota businesses property tax relief would add $126 million to a already expected $1.3 billion state deficit says Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk.
“Mean spirited” and “humiliating” to poor people is how Ebony Harris describes a Minnesota proposed law requiring 60-days residency to qualify for welfare benefits.
Hundreds of people are expected to show up to this afternoon’s hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment requiring Minnesotans to present a photo ID to vote. However, it is unlikely they will be able to talk about the potential voter suppression effect the amendment would have.
Untargeted business tax relief that would go to out of state retail corporations such as McDonalds and Costco would be a “race to the bottom” says Senator Scott Dibble (DFL- Minneapolis)
A bill now heading to the Minnesota House floor bans public school employees from using district resources to advocate a political agenda.
Education Minnesota says a proposed law that allows high seniority teachers to be laid off first will create a “lot of chaos, a lot of grievances, (and) possible lawsuits.
A website owner from Maple Grove tells the House tax committee that trying to make Amazon.com charge sales taxes for goods sold in Minnesota will not bring in revenue and will put her out of business.
The Northside Economic Opportunity Network works with small businesses and micro-businesses in North Minneapolis to help them achieve success.
As we’ve been reporting for the past six months, many tornado victims who need help still haven’t gotten it.
Occupy MN is occupying Monique White’s house at 3310 N. 6th St. in the city’s downtrodden North Minneapolis neighborhood. In doing so, Occupy MN instantly made itself more diverse, and more relevant.
When administrators revealed a plan last spring to shut down North High School — one of only two public schools on Minneapolis’ embattled north side — MN Neighborhoods Organizing for Change and other activists answered the call.
North Minneapolis food entrepreneurs use Kindred Kitchen to learn about starting their own business, making their food safely and legally in a commercial kitchen, and marketing it within the community.
Voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around. That’s the thought behind Draw The Line Minnesota, a citizen group that is working to draw the maps for congressional and legislative districts.
This year’s FLOW art crawl was all about recognizing thousands of volunteers that helped with the clean-up and recovery efforts after the May 22nd tornado. Leaders hope the positive can-do attitude of the cleanup can power a rebirth of the Northside.
After their home in North Minneapolis was destroyed by the May 22 tornado, Dennis and Deborah were forced to seek refuge in the local Armory and at the North Commons Recreation Center. For weeks, they and their five children slept on cots on the floor of a gymnasium.
Her home destroyed and now condemned, north Minneapolis tornado victim Joyce Chineth feels abandoned by the system.
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