minnesota governor

Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have granted same-sex couples the same end-of-life rights as married couples. The bill, which passed both the House and Senate last week, would have granted gay partners the authority to decide how to dispose of their loved one's remains, and they would also have the right to file wrongful death suits on behalf of a partner. 

Gov. Mark Dayton became the first governor to speak at the annual rally held by Outfront Minnesota at the capitol on Thursday, supporting gay marriage rights. "I'm here to support those Minnesotans and Americans who want the same rights, freedoms, opportunity, respect, dignity and legal protections and legal opportunities as every other one of their fellow citizens," Dayton told the crowd, "Which is the founding principal of this country!"

Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, a presumptive Republican presidential candidate for 2012, said Thursday that he supports a campaign to remove three Iowa supreme court judges who joined the unanimous marriage equality decision last year.

A judiciary committee in Minnesota's senate passed a bill that could allow voters to pass a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Voting 8-4, Minnesota's GOP-controlled senate judiciary committee green-lit the legislation after two hours of debate and an hour-long debate between senators. Previous efforts by Minnesota's senate to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage — the state already outlaws marriage equality, though the ban is not yet written into the constitution — have failed, but Republicans gained an upperhand in the past election. Both the senate and house of Minnesota are Republican-controlled, while the governor, Mark Dayton, is a Democrat.

On the front steps of the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota governor Mark Dayton signed a marriage equality bill into law Tuesday at 5 p.m. Central time, just one day after the state House approved the legislation with one Republican joining the entire Democratic caucus in supporting the bill.

Antigay Republican Tom Emmer is making headlines for benefiting from Target Corp.’s $150K contribution to a conservative PAC supporting his bid for governor of Minnesota. What isn’t making many headlines is the identity of his likely opponent. Pro-gay former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton is in the lead heading into the August 10 primaries. An heir to Dayton-Hudson Corporation fortune, Mark Dayton is the great-grandson of George Dayton, who stared the Dayton’s department store chain. In 1960, the company opened the first Target, a discount version of Dayton’s.

Natasha Frosh and Tony Friesen got married in Minnesota on Saturday, April 20. But when it came time for the traditional bouquet toss, the bride stepped up to the mic and took a moment to advocate for the freedom to marry for any two people who love one another.

The Minnesota House of Representatives approved a bill legalizing marriage equality Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 75-59, including "aye" votes from four Republicans. The bill will likely be heard by the full state Senate next week.

A San Diego superior court judge Tuesday denied a Target Corp. motion to keep a grassroots group campaigning for marriage equality from gathering petition signatures outside its stores throughout California. Judge Jeffrey Barton ruled that the right of free speech takes priority over Target’s interests, refusing to temporarily remove the group Canvass for a Cause pending trial.

A source close to Lady Gaga confirms to The Advocate that the entertainer has dissolved her deal with Target over the chain's controversial political donations. "She and Target didn't see eye to eye on Target's policy of political donations and how they affect the LGBT community," the source tells The Advocate exclusively.

Safe sex and natural resources policy converged this past Saturday at the Twin Cities Pride festival, where the Minnesota chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans distributed condoms in wrappers emblazoned with the phrase “Drill, baby, drill!!” in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The text on the condom wrapper added the warning “Just don’t spill” to the slogan “Drill, baby, drill,” first invoked at the 2008 Republican convention by former Maryland lieutenant governor and current Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele.

Republican lawmakers in Minnesota announced a plan Tuesday to fast track their efforts to put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages before voters in 2012. The plan to put the amendment on the 2012 general election ballot despite the fact that Minnesota law already prohibits same-sex marriages. Sen. Warren Limmer is leading the effort, which Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, opposes, but he can exert little influence on the outcome.

The CEO of Target told shareholders Wednesday that the company would remain neutral on a proposed anti–marriage equality amendment in Minnesota, the state where Target is based. Steinhafel came under fire last year when it was discovered that the company had given hundreds of thousands of dollars to antigay politicians and political groups.

Target has donated a significant sum toward the campaign of an antigay political candidate in Virginia.