I am blogging right now on my notebook from Room G-15, Minnesota State Capitol, where the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing of the Senate marriage amendment bill is going on right now (1:10 CST). The House bill has already passed that chamber and now the only thing standing between it and certain signing by our reactionary, simple plurality Governor is the Senate Judiciary committee and the Senate floor vote.
The Capitol Building is a zoo, with crazy homophobes at every turn holding signs and yelling. The hearing room is surrounded by State Troopers and officers from the Sergeant at Arms office, and heavily roped off.
Democrats are a slight majority in the Senate and Majority Leader Dean Johnson has done a good job of keeping the caucus together on this one. No one is sure what will happen in Committee or on the floor. Senator Don Betzold is the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and he is strongly against this bill and Democrats are a majority there, but the pressure for rural Democrats to cave on this one is severe. The best case scenario, electorally and morally, is for the committee to amend the bill heavily, beyond recognition, and send it to the Senate floor toothless and absent of original intent. This would give rural Democrats the opportunity to vote yes on the amendment without having to worry about hurting any gay people. Or the committee could just reject it altogether, which would be fine with me.
I wish all the rural Democrats had the balls of Majority Leader Johnson. He is from a swing district in rural Willmar, Minnesota, and he is strongly opposing this, jeopardizing his own re-election in '06 and possibly engendering a primary challenge.
I hereby salute Majority Leader Dean Johnson and Chairman Don Betzold. Godspeed.