Kiffmeyer: MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill Betrays Vow that 'Nothing Would Change'

Minnesota state Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), who represents St. Michael-Albertville, argued against passage of same-sex marriage legislation on the floor of the Minnesota Senate Monday.

Kiffmeyer took the Senate floor after two Republican-sponsored amendments failed to pass, which she described as "First Amendment changes being rebuffed."

Kiffmeyer said introduction of the gay marriage bill went back on promises made to voters in the 2012 ballot referendum on amending the Minnesota Constitution to ban same-sex unions.

"They were told it was OK to vote no because nothing would change," Kiffmeyer said. "Do they feel betrayed? Absolutely. Do they feel lied to? Yes. ... So here we are today with a massive change."

Kiffmeyer referenced an earlier speaker, Sen. Jeff Haydon (DFL-Minneapolis), who told gay-marriage oppponents, "It's going to be OK."

She paraphrased Haydon: "It's OK. It'll all be OK."

But, she said, "in every other state [with gay marriage] we have not seen that to be the case. ... I'm voting no because of the lack of First Amendment protection [for those who believe defining marriage as] one man, one woman [couples] with the capacity for having children is the best public policy."