Social Conservatives Stage Lobby Day at Capitol
Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 4:05 pm
- 18 Comments
Four of Minnesota’s largest social conservative groups lobbied at the Minnesota Capitol on Thursday, drawing more than 70 people to the rotunda. Sens. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, and Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, and Reps. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, and Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, addressed the attendees along with leaders from the groups sponsoring the Freedom and Family Coalition Lobby Day.
The Minnesota Family Council, EdWatch, Citizens’ Council on Health Care, and Minnesota Majority (formerly Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage) came to the Capitol Thursday to advocate “less government, less taxes and less government spending” and to oppose legislation for domestic-partner benefits, medical marijuana, stem-cell research and comprehensive sex education.
Senate Minority Leader David Senjem discussed the importance of hard work and of using the Bible to make and pass laws. “The good book is important and we need to lead our lives according to the teachings of the good book. OK, we’ll say it. The Bible…It’s our job, I believe, to legislate by the teachings. The teachings are really all we have in terms of guiding our legislative life and certainly our personal life.”
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert spoke of the importance of the veto pen: “We are working day in and day out to protect our values. There are people upstairs who will boil the frog of undoing the family, of undoing our traditions, of building up government piece by piece, while tearing down parental responsibility piece by piece. It is our job to make sure we are the defenders of freedom, defenders of personal responsibility, defenders of family values and that includes using this writing instrument called the veto pen.” Seifert said that this legislative session was about ‘waiting it out’. “As soon as the gavel drops it means that our values are no longer under assault.”
Sen. Warren Limmer talked with the crowd about stem-cell research: “Yesterday the dreaded stem-cell research bill made its way through the state senate,” he said, followed by a smattering of boos from the crowd. He continued, “That bill would give the University of Minnesota the authority for cloning and embryonic research. That type of a bill makes the old traditional bill of taxes and spending pale by comparison.”
Later, Limmer spoke out against a bill that would allow local governments the option of providing domestic-partner benefits and another bill that would allow same-sex domestic partners of state employees to purchase health insurance at the state rate. “And, of course, we have domestic partnerships. The way the laws are written are simply a clever scheme to redefine the marriage laws in Minnesota…that will permanently change our marriage definition in this state. Our eyes are wide open.”
The rally attendees carried signs saying “Values Matter.” The signs did not indicate whose values mattered, or which values in particular mattered.
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter18 Comments
Comment posted April 29, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
Ribbit!!! Poor Marty’s metaphor and analogy generator must be running on fumes if he has to reach for the old boiling frog urban legend.
Comment posted April 29, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
70 people ain’t a whole heck of a lot 70 people ain’t a whole lot. I say the Big Four organizations aren’t doing so well.
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 8:37 am
so that’s what he meant? I thought he was trying to say progressives practice witchcraft…
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
Haha Yeah, it took me a minute to figure why anyone would boil a frog. I’ve fried frog legs before, but we certainly never boiled them.
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
Very poor showing Did these characters give Senjem any grief for his vote in favor of allowing municipalities to offer dp benefits?
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
It’s interesting that the MFC gets leadership to address their rallies Does Outfront ever get leadership to address the rallies – or is it just Clark and Dibble? Did Kelliher, Pogemiller and Taryl Clark address the gay rights rally? If not, why not?
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
They were present All three greeted the crowd at OutFront’s Rally, but they already had 2 hours worth of speaking, and they were all running in and out voting, so I think whoever could speak did. But yeah, they all came out show support, at least for a few minutes.
Comment posted May 2, 2007 @ 9:35 pm
I’d like to see Outfront have a legislative breakfast Early in the session – just the way the chamber of commerce does – and have one of the Dem leaders speak.
House DFLers still aren’t clearly on the record on this issue – since everything seems to have been rolled into omnibus bills – I’d rather get these characters all on record – because then we have something to measure against.
Comment posted May 2, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
Why call these characters social conservatives? Theocrats or anti-gay activists would be a better descriptor.
Comment posted April 29, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
Ribbit!!! Poor Marty's metaphor and analogy generator must be running on fumes if he has to reach for the old boiling frog urban legend.
Comment posted April 29, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
70 people ain't a whole heck of a lot 70 people ain't a whole lot. I say the Big Four organizations aren't doing so well.
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 3:37 am
so that's what he meant? I thought he was trying to say progressives practice witchcraft…
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 9:15 am
Haha Yeah, it took me a minute to figure why anyone would boil a frog. I've fried frog legs before, but we certainly never boiled them.
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 4:23 pm
Very poor showing Did these characters give Senjem any grief for his vote in favor of allowing municipalities to offer dp benefits?
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
It's interesting that the MFC gets leadership to address their rallies Does Outfront ever get leadership to address the rallies – or is it just Clark and Dibble? Did Kelliher, Pogemiller and Taryl Clark address the gay rights rally? If not, why not?
Comment posted April 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
They were present All three greeted the crowd at OutFront's Rally, but they already had 2 hours worth of speaking, and they were all running in and out voting, so I think whoever could speak did. But yeah, they all came out show support, at least for a few minutes.
Comment posted May 2, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
I'd like to see Outfront have a legislative breakfast Early in the session – just the way the chamber of commerce does – and have one of the Dem leaders speak.
House DFLers still aren't clearly on the record on this issue – since everything seems to have been rolled into omnibus bills – I'd rather get these characters all on record – because then we have something to measure against.
Comment posted May 2, 2007 @ 4:36 pm
Why call these characters social conservatives? Theocrats or anti-gay activists would be a better descriptor.
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