Republicans in the Minnesota House introduced three bills on Thursday that would put a ban on same-sex marriage into the Minnesota Constitution. The bill is a companion to the bills offered in the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday. Rep. Steve Gottwalt, R-St. Cloud, liked the idea so much, he’s offered two additional identical bills of his own.
A bill offered by Minnesota Republicans would have the state condemn the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The bill’s language comes directly from ParentalRights.org, a subsidiary of the Home School Legal Defense Association, which is also responsible for Generation Joshua, a program that enlists Christian children to campaign for Republican candidates.
Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, chair the House Education Reform Committee, had strong words for an Education Minnesota plan to include 90 days of classroom supervision for teachers undergoing an alternative licensing program in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio on Tuesday evening. Erickson said the plan amounted to a “teacher Gestapo,” and unions have already seized on those comments as an example of the overheated rhetoric that has become hotly debated across the nation in the wake of the tragedy in Tuscon. Erickson tells the Minnesota Independent Wednesday she “overstepped her bounds” with the comment and apologized.
Among the first bills introduced in the Minnesota House this session is one aimed at establishing English as the official language of the state. Republican Reps. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa, David Hancock of Bemidji, Sondra Erickson of Princeton, and Roger Crawford of Mora introduced the bill on Monday.
A roundup of recent recount tidbits: The Strib on why Republicans may claim “we wuz robbed,” the resurgence of the Ritchie’s-a-Commie attack, Norm Coleman’s forced hockey metaphor, and more.
This year there were at least nine state House contests that were rematches from 2006. In three instances, challengers successfully avenged their previous defeats.
Former state Rep. Mark Olson’s bizarre write-in campaign, which was endorsed by the Republican Party in Senate District 16, fell slightly short of success. The Republican, who was kicked out of the party caucus after being arrested for assaulting his wife, received 310 votes in the state Senate race, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. But that’s not to say that Olson didn’t play a vital role in the contest.
After a tough 2006 electoral battle in which Democrat Ken Tschumper prevailed over incumbent Gregory Davids, the opponents will face off again this year. It is perhaps the most intriguing rematch of the electoral season, but it’s far from the only one. There are at least seven other competitive state House contests that pit foes against each other for a second — or even third — time.
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