The Minnesota chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization dedicated to working within the Republican party to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, responded to reports that Republican Senator Paul Koering would vote against a marriage equality bill introduced in the Minnesota Senate.
Calling Koering a “respected and hard-working legislator,” the group said it disagreed with Koering statement that he would vote against the bill. “Full equality for gays and lesbians, including civil marriage rights, is consistent with Log Cabin’s core conservative beliefs of limited government, individual liberty and individual responsibility, and strong, stable families,” the group said in a statement Friday. “We are committed to working with Republican elected officials, including Sen. Koering, to increase their understanding of the inequalities that gays and lesbians face every day in Minnesota and the legal barriers to building and sustaining strong committed relationships in their lives.”
But while the group disagreed with Koering’s decision, it saved most of the criticism for the DFL. “Unfortunately, DFL leadership is actively working to prevent this bill from coming to the floor for a vote. It is neither Senator Koering, nor the Republican Party, who is currently standing in the way of this legislation coming to fruition,” said the Log Cabins. “Fair minded citizens of all political parties should hold the current majority accountable for walking the talk on civil marriage equality.”
The full press release is after the jump.
Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota knows Sen. Paul Koering to be a respected and hard-working legislator, a strong advocate for his constituents, and a highly caring individual. That being said, we disagree with Sen. Koering’s reported position in opposition to S.F. 120, the Marriage and Family Protection Act. Full equality for gays and lesbians, including civil marriage rights, is consistent with Log Cabin’s core conservative beliefs of limited government, individual liberty and individual responsibility, and strong, stable families. We are committed to working with Republican elected officials, including Sen. Koering, to increase their understanding of the inequalities that gays and lesbians face every day in Minnesota and the legal barriers to building and sustaining strong committed relationships in their lives. We are confident that through constructive discussions we will win over the hearts and minds of these elected officials, as well as those in our communities.We also believe that the focus on Sen. Koering’s comments is both disproportionate and highly misplaced. While we believe that a bipartisan approach is the best path towards fairness and equality, the fact of the matter is that S.F. 120 could be passed in both the Senate and the House without a single Republican vote, and a veto overridden in the Senate without Sen. Koering’s or any other Republican’s vote. In the House, a veto override would require the support of three Republicans with whom we look forward to convincing and working with to eliminate this government-sponsored discrimination. Unfortunately, DFL leadership is actively working to prevent this bill from coming to the floor for a vote. It is neither Senator Koering, nor the Republican Party, who is currently standing in the way of this legislation coming to fruition. Fair minded citizens of all political parties should hold the current majority accountable for walking the talk on civil marriage equality.
Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota promotes legislation to provide basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans and works to build a more inclusive GOP. It is a chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, a 30-year old organization which has state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time office in Washington, DC, a federal political action committee and state political action committees.
