Minnesota Independent

Senate committee passes anti–gay marriage amendment

By Andy Birkey | 04.29.11 | 3:56 pm

The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee passed a bill Friday afternoon that would put a ban on same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution if voters approve it during the November 2012 elections. Religious leaders spoke in defense of the bill, while supporters of the LGBT community expressed opposition. It passed the committee along party lines with Republicans supporting the measure.

Abortion bills pass committee, could trigger Supreme Court challenge

By Andy Birkey | 04.13.11 | 1:29 pm

A pair of anti-abortion rights bill are moving through the Minnesota House and Senate this week. On Tuesday, a Senate committee passed a bill to ban abortion at 20 weeks gestation. And in the House and Senate a bill to ban taxpayer funding for abortion was passed out of committee. It was clear from testimony on both sides of the debate that Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Republican lawmakers are seeking a high-profile lawsuit on the issue of abortion, and the bill to ban taxpayer funding for abortion is structured so that a challenge would go directly to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Media Monitor: The Fix’s best blogs list, and a KSTP host runs for GOP chair

By Paul Schmelzer | 04.08.09 | 4:23 pm

A week after losing his KSTP AM show, Dave Thompson is throwing his hat in the ring to become state GOP chair. Chris Cillizza’s best-state-based blogs list came out at the Washington Post today, and Minnesota has more featured blogs than any other state. And a traffic milestone for MinnPost. All this, plus some naughty humor from Roger Ebert, inside.