City Council Votes To Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Saying such a move ought to come as "no surprise" to Minneapolis residents, City Councilmembers voted unanimously to oppose a current state law banning same-sex marriage.

The move by the Council's Committee of the Whole will officially put the city on record urging its residents to vote against the amendment on Nov. 6, and asking its representatives at the state capitol to work against its passage. This action will be officially approved at the City Council’s Feb. 10 meeting

"Thank you to all of Minneapolis' City Councilmembers!" Minnesotans United For All Families wrote on its Facebook page when news of the announcement broke. 

The group is mounting the main challenge to stop the amendment's passage.

The move from the city comes on the same day the anti-amendment forces announced a voter mobilization effort to get their supporters to precinct caucuses on Feb. 7. The caucuses, campaign manager Richard Carlbom said, will give their supporters of all political parties an opportunity to convince other voters to oppose the amendment.

A few days ago, Southwest Minneapolis' state Sen. Scott Dibble joined state Sen. Karen Clark (DFL-Minneapolis) a bill to take the so-called "marriage amendment" off the 2012 ballot.

"It’ll be a long shot, but there are enough Republicans who've expressed remorse, and it’ll give them the opportunity to vote their conscience," Dibble said with Southwest Minneapolis Patch.

Same-sex marriage ban proponents Minnesota For Marriage attacked the move as "playing politics," saying the amendment's presence on the ballot was a "settled issue."

"The people of Minnesota will exercise their sovereign right to vote on this issue," John Helmberger, chairman of Minnesota for Marriage.