The three bills and their sponsors?

HF1824 is sponsored by Dan Severson, R-Park Rapids; Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Park Rapids; Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City; Dave Olin, Thief River Falls; Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake; Rob Eastlund, R-Isanti.

HF1870 is sponsored by Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake; Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder; Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls; Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha; Mark Murdock, R-Otter Tail; Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing; Ron Shimanski, R-Sliver Lake.

1871 is carried by Drazkowski with Shimanski, Kiffmeyer and Dettmer again, and adding Steve Gottwalt, R-St. Cloud.

In 2007, a similar slate of legislators offered five identical bills.

Radio Free Nation’s Marty Owings captured the faith leaders’ press conference where they said that an amendment must pass or the world will be in peril.

(Minnesota Historical Society)

When legislators want to make major changes to law, sometimes they put the law to the voters to decide. This year, legislators want to know where the voters stand on issues like guns, health care and labor unions. There’s even a bill to ask the voters whether the Minnesota Constitution should be amended to change the way the state amends it.

None of these bills has advanced in the Legislature, but if they did, it could mean a crowded ballot in November 2010.

Republicans, and a few DFLers, want to amend the Minnesota Constitution (HF 415, SF 582) with language from the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment would read, “The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms for the defense and security of the person, family, or home or for lawful hunting, recreation, or marksmanship training is fundamental and shall not be abridged.”

Four DFLers have joined a slate of Republicans pushing for the amendment: Reps. Larry Howes, R-Walker; Al Doty, DFL-Royalton; Steve Smith, R-Mound; Mark Murdock, R-Ottertail; John Persell, DFL-Bemidji; Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha; Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake; Tom Emmer, R-Delano; Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead; Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont; David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake; and Dave Olin, DFL-Thief River Falls; and Sens. Bill G. Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria and Pat Pariseau, R-Farmington.

Another bill has been proposed that would make it harder to amend the state Constitution by requiring a three-fifths majority of the Senate and House in order to put an amendment to the people. The bill (SF 233) is offered by Republican Sens. Chris Gerlach of Apple Valley and Julianne Ortman of Chanhassen, and DFLers Tom Bakk of Cook, John Marty of Roseville and Ann Rest of New Hope.

Sens. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, Amy T. Koch, R-Buffalo, and Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, want to impose term limits on senators and representatives. If the bill (HF 770, SF 78) passed, the language on the ballot would read, “A person may not be elected more than three times to the office of senator or five times to the office of representative. A person may not be elected more than twice to the office of governor nor more than twice to the office of lieutenant governor. A person may not be elected more than twice to the office of secretary of state, attorney general, or state auditor.”

DFL legislators want the lieutenant governor gone. Reps. Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis and Mindy Greiling of Roseville join Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope in offering a bill to ask the voters (HF 296, SF 98) to abolish the office.

Republicans have offered a constitutional amendment to “establish a right to work.” In actuality, the bill (SF 439, HF 169) would prohibit an employer from requiring membership in a union as a condition of employment. The bill would ask voters, “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to prohibit any person, as a condition of employment, from being required to become a member of a labor union or pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind to a labor union or to any charity or other third party in lieu of such payments?” It is sponsored by Reps. Tom Emmer of Delano, Mark Buesgens of Jordan, Tom Hackbarth of Cedar, Kurt Zellers of Maple Grove, and Keith Downey of Edina, and Sens. David Hann of Eden Prairie, Chris Gerlach of Apple Valley, Bill G. Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria, and Amy Koch of Buffalo will

No more pluralities. DFL legislators want elected officials to get 50 percent plus one of the vote in order to serve in office. If the bill (HF 440) passes, the voters will be asked, “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require that an executive officer, judge, or legislator must be elected by a majority of the votes cast at the general election for the office sought?”

Legislators sponsoring the bill are: Kent Eken of Twin Valley, Mindy Greiling of Roseville, Bill Hilty of Finlayson, Tony Sertich of Chisolm, Sheldon Johnson of St. Paul, Will Morgan of Burnsville, Brita Sailer of Park Rapids, Lyle Koenen of Clara City, Bernard Lieder of Crookston, Loren Solberg of Grand Rapids and Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis.

Republican House members are looking to have their Senate counterparts elected in staggered terms, with half up for reelection every two years instead of the full Senate elected every four years. The bill (HF 408) reads, “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require that, as nearly as possible, one-half of the members of the Senate stand for election at each biennial election of legislators, commencing in 2012?”

The Republicans on the bill include: Reps. Laura Brod of New Prague, Bob Dettmer of Forest Lake, Paul Kohls of Victoria, Steve Smith of Mound, Tom Hackbarth of Cedar, Doug Magnus of Slayton; Randy Demmer of Hayfield, Dean Urdahl of Grove City, Tara Mack of Apple Valley, Matt Dean of Dellwood, Kurt Zellers of Maple Grove, Morrie Lanning of Moorhead, Michael Beard of Shakopee, Tim Kelly of Red Wing, and Ron Shimanski of Silver Lake.

A “freedom of choice in health care” amendment has been submitted by Republicans. The bill (HF 171, SF 325) is a clear response to increasing support for the Minnesota Health Plan Act, which would eliminate private health insurance while ensuring doctor and clinic choice.

“Because all people should have the right to make decisions about their health care, no law shall be passed that restricts a person’s freedom of choice of private health care systems or private health plans of any type,” the measure reads in part.

The bill is sponsored by Reps. Tom Emmer of Delan and Mark Buesgens of Jordan, and Sens. Amy Koch of Buffalo, David Hann of Eden Prairie, Chris Gerlach of Apple Valley, Bill Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria and Ray Vandeveer of Forest Lake.

In Minneapolis, lesbian Carla Bates became the only LGBT person elected to the school board at a time when an anti-bullying program that includes education about the LGBT community has generated controversy among conservative religious parents. She was the only out candidate running for the spot.

The Minnesota House saw significant gains in LGBT-supportive candidates. OutFront Minnesota Action, the political wing of the state’s largest LGBT advocacy and policy organization, says that as of Tuesday’s election, a slim majority of House members are supporters. Fifty-one percent of House members vote for pro-LGBT legislation at least 50 percent of the time and 43 percent vote with the community 100 percent of the time. The number of House members who vote against the interests of LGBT Minnesotans has declined markedly in the last three elections. Only 24 percent vote against the community 100 percent of the time, down from 33 percent in 2006 and 50 percent in 2004.

OutFront noted four supportive House members who lost their re-election bids: DFLers Shelley Madore of Apple Valley, Ken Tschumper of La Crescent and Sandy Wollschlager of Red Wing, and Republican-turned-independent Ron Erhardt of Edina.

At the same time, two outspoken opponents of LGBT equality lost their bids for re-election. Republican Lynn Wardlow of Eagan lost to DFLer Mike Obermueller, and Republican Sondra Erickson of Princeton lost to DFLer Gail Kulick Jackson. Wardlow and Erickson were leaders in the push to amend the Minnesota constitution to ban same-sex marriage, and both consistently voted against bills aimed at rectifying inequalities in state statutes for LGBT people.

Minnesota sent a less supportive delegation to Congress. Republican Erik Paulsen replaces Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad. Ramstad supported employment and housing equality for LGBT people, while Paulsen was a leader in the Minnesota House pushing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The re-election of Republican Reps. John Kline and Michele Bachmann and of DFL Rep. Collin Peterson retains three members who have consistently voted against the community’s interests. DFL Reps. Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Tim Walz and James Oberstar won re-election, and each has made contributions to LGBT equality in Congress.

For U.S. Senate, Al Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman face a recount in an incredibly close election. Coleman supported employment and housing protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans, and Franken ran on an unwavering LGBT equality platform. It will be weeks before a decision is finalized in that race.

Barack Obama represents the most LGBT-friendly president in Unites States history. “President-elect Obama included GLBT people in his acceptance speech and supports federal legislation including hate crime and employment protections as well as other measures that will help our families do better,” said OutFront Minnesota Action. “He plans to keep GLBT people and families in mind when creating policy solutions for our country.”