Minnesota Senate votes to put constitutional amendment on gay marriage before voters

A proposal to place a question on the 2012 ballot that would alter the Minnesota Constitution to ban same-sex marriage passed the Senate on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 38 to 27. The measure is waiting its final committee hearing in the House before that chamber votes on it. Virtually all of the testimony on the Senate floor was in opposition to the bill, which led one legislator to question whether supporters were ashamed to speak in support of it.

Senate passes voter ID bill

The Minnesota Senate passed a sweeping voter identification bill Thursday that would require voters to present a government-issued photo ID card in order to vote in the state. Republicans said the measure is intended to prevent voter fraud, which they say has disenfranchised legitimate voters, while Democrats countered that it would be a travesty to democracy if even one voter was disenfranchised because they didn’t have an ID.

Medical marijuana bill introduced in the Senate

A bill to allow incurably ill patients to legally purchase marijuana is up for consideration in the Minnesota Senate. The Medical Use of Marijuana bill is nearly identical to a bill that passed the Senate last year and almost passed the House. It enjoys partisan support this year, although last year Gov. Tim Pawlenty indicated he would veto such a bill so long as law enforcement opposed it.

Budget blues: $5 billion deficit visits Minneapolis’ North Side

The sub-zero temperatures didn’t scare away North Side residents. Roughly 50 folks gathered Tuesday night at the Minneapolis Urban League to meet with their state legislative delegation and learn the details of Minnesota’s looming $4.8 billion budget deficit. Freshmen Reps. Bobby Joe Champion (pictured) and Jeff Hayden (the only two African Americans in the legislature) were on hand, along with veteran state Sen. Linda Higgins. “The reality is that people are really, really frightened,” Hayden said at the start of the discussion.

Ellison Headlines Town Hall on Predatory Lending Practices

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison will be among the special guests speaking at tonight’s Predatory Lending Community Action meeting.

Other guests include state Rep. Joe Mullery, state Sen. Linda Higgins, and ACORN finance director Jordan Ash,…