Minnesota Independent

DFL launches campaign focusing on gay and lesbian families

By Andy Birkey | 06.24.11 | 8:30 am

As a battle over a ballot initiative that would place a ban on same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution continues, the DFL is launching a campaign Friday to highlight why marriage is important to all families, including those headed by gay and lesbian couples. Called “Pride in Minnesota Families,” the campaign coincides with the beginning of Twin Cities Pride, a weekend-long series of events celebrating Minnesota’s LGBT community and its supporters.

Independence Party speaks out against anti-gay marriage amendment

By Andy Birkey | 06.03.11 | 9:49 am

The Independence Party of Minnesota is the latest political party in Minnesota to oppose a proposed ballot initiative that would write a ban on same-sex marriage into the Minnesota Constitution, and it’s the second party with major party status here to oppose the measure.

Religious, political groups criticize Bradlee Dean prayer

By Andy Birkey | 05.23.11 | 2:21 pm

In the wake of Bradlee Dean’s controversial prayer before the Minnesota House on Friday, a number of religious and political groups condemned Dean and urged Republican leaders to disavow Dean’s prayer and his association with the House. The Minnesota Catholic Conference, which supports a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, said that Dean should not be associated with their movement. The ACLU, the DFL, the National Organization for Marriage, Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak and several legislators all weighed in on the controversy over the weekend.

Minnesota Democrats vow to fight anti-gay marriage amendment

By Andy Birkey | 03.07.11 | 8:58 am

In its DFL Dispatch — an email update to party activists — Minnesota DFL chair Ken Martin said last week that the party will fight to stop a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage from passing in Minnesota. Some LGBT activists had been pressuring the party to make a bold statement in its communications about the issue. In the email, Martin said, “We will work hard to ensure that the GOP is not successful in their quest to write discrimination into our state constitution.”

Gov. Mark Dayton. Photo: Kathy Easthagen, Minnesota Independent

Mark Dayton picks up votes on first day of gubernatorial recount

By Andy Birkey | 11.30.10 | 9:02 am

By the end of the first day of the recount in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, DFLer Mark Dayton picked up 20 votes while Republican Tom Emmer lost four after less than half of ballots were recounted Monday. The Emmer team launched an aggressive campaign to challenge ballots, although many challenges were rejected as “frivolous” by election officials. The recount was not without humor, though, as some voters made some interesting write-in choices. One voter, for instance, wrote in “Who farted?” for Ramsey County Sheriff — sure to be the recount’s version of the infamous 2008 write-in candidate “Lizard People.”

Emmer files petition with Supreme Court, Dayton camp calls it delay tactic

By Andy Birkey | 11.18.10 | 10:00 am

The Republican Party of Minnesota and Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign filed a petition Wednesday with the Minnesota Supreme Court alleging that more people voted in the 2010 election than registered. The GOP claims it has information from election judges who “did not witness” other election judges counting precinct sign in sheets and that “tens of thousands”of “phantom votes” exist. The recount team of Mark Dayton said that votes have been reconciled twice in post-election reporting, and that the GOP is engaged in an eleventh-hour “hail mary” to postpone the recount process.

With stakes high, DFL allies’ new PAC targets governor’s race

By Paul Demko | 10.23.09 | 6:00 am

Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial contests in Minnesota in more than two decades. The formation of a new political action committee is more evidence that they’re serious about ending that drought in 2010.