MPR’s Mike Mulcahy describes the scene as Minnesota Senate debates and votes to extend the Minnesota Human Rights Bill to include protections on one’s sexual orientation. Report includes clips of Senate floor speeches.
The bill would change the state's human rights law to prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in areas like housing, employment and education.
SPEAKER 1: The Minnesota State Senate has been spending much of the morning debating a bill that would extend state human rights protection to gays and lesbians. The Senate has considered a number of amendments, and is expected to vote on the measure soon. Mike Mulcahy joins us now from the State Capitol with an update. Mike.
MIKE MULCAHY: Gary, the Bill being debated by the Senate today would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered by the state human rights law. Currently, the law prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and other public accommodations based on race, sex, religion, marital status, and some other factors.
There's been a lot of lobbying on both sides of this Bill. Minneapolis, DFLer Allan Spear, who's sponsoring the measure in the senate, used a personal argument. He is gay. He told his colleagues that opponents who argue that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice are just wrong.
ALLAN SPEAR: Well, let me tell you that I am a 55-year-old gay man, and I am not just going through a phase.
[LAUGHTER]
I can also assure you that my sexual orientation is not something I chose, like choosing to wear a blue shirt, and a red tie today. Why in the world would I have chosen it? I grew up in the 1950s.
MIKE MULCAHY: Now, Gary, Opponents of this Bill say that it would give gays and lesbians special privileges, and that it would sanction sexual practices that many people in Minnesota find offensive. Tom Neville is a Republican from Northfield.
TOM NEVILLE: I may even be willing to tolerate what I believe to be conduct or a lifestyle that I believe to be inappropriate. But what I am not willing to do is to cooperate. I think, by putting protection for sexual orientation into the Human Rights Act, goes a little bit beyond what I'm willing to do and what many people in Minnesota are willing to do.
MIKE MULCAHY: And Gary, I should say, just as we were hearing from Senator Neville there, the Senate has voted on this Bill. It has approved the gay rights measure, 37 yes, to 30 nos. So that's what's happening here right now. And there's a good chance the House might vote on this this afternoon as well.
SPEAKER 1: So the Bill has passed 37 to 30.
MIKE MULCAHY: 37 to 30, the Bill passes the Senate.
SPEAKER 1: This is preliminary approval or?
MIKE MULCAHY: Well, yes, this is the first vote, actually, the Senate will have to take on it. They'll take another vote on Monday, but that's pretty much just a formality at this point.
SPEAKER 1: So the votes don't change a lot as a rule.
MIKE MULCAHY: Right, there's no debate and they seldom change.
SPEAKER 1: And the governor has said he'll sign it, right?
MIKE MULCAHY: Right, if it reaches his desk, if the House passes it now. So I guess that's where we'll look now.
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