Minnesota Legislature passed SF1308, referring same-sex marriage ban to November 2012 ballot

On May 21, 2011, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed SF1308/HF1613 by a vote of 70-62, completing the Legislature's approval of a joint resolution proposing a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman. The Minnesota Senate had already passed the measure 38-27 on May 11, 2011. Sponsored by Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) and Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud), the resolution referred the amendment question directly to voters at the November 2012 general election rather than enacting a ban outright.

As a constitutional-amendment referral rather than ordinary legislation, SF1308 did not require the governor's signature before reaching the ballot; it was filed with the Secretary of State as Chapter 88, Laws of 2011, on May 25, 2011. Minnesota voters subsequently rejected the amendment at the November 2012 general election, so the marriage ban the Legislature referred never took legal effect. This entry records the Legislature's discriminatory referral vote itself, not an enacted ban.

During nearly five hours of House floor debate, opponents including Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Mpls) and Rep. John Ward (DFL-Brainerd) argued the measure was discriminatory, while sponsor Gottwalt said current law already barred same-sex marriage and that voters, rather than judges or legislators alone, should decide the question. Supporters and opponents rallied at the State Capitol in St. Paul throughout the debate.

Updates

2012-11-06 — Minnesota voters rejected the marriage amendment at the general election [4, 5]

Minnesota voters rejected the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage at the November 6, 2012 general election, with 51.19 percent voting against adoption (known as 2012 Minnesota Amendment 1). The ban the Legislature referred to the ballot in SF1308 never took legal effect as a result.