The Minnesota Legislature ended its most recent session without passing a budget, prompting Governor Pawlenty to make a boneheaded move and call the body immediatley into special session. The entire legislative process has now reopened for an indefinite time. Sure, they've still got to pass a budget, but several Republican House members have shown what they think the important business of the special session should be. From an
OutFront Minnesota action alert (go send 'em some love):
On Thursday, May 26th, the Minnesota House of Representatives reintroduced the constitutional amendment to bar all legal recognition of same-sex couples. Bills from the regular session that do not pass in both the House and Senate do not carry over into special session. Any bill to be considered during the special session must be reintroduced. The supporters reintroduced the anti-marriage amendment to ensure that the constitutional amendment is included in the debate as the House, Senate, and Governor attempt to reach conclusion on a number of pressing issues.
Two different authors introduced bills containing the same language on Thursday: House File (HF) 8 and HF 12. The language and scope of HF 8 and HF 12 are identical to the anti-marriage amendment that passed the House on March 31st by a 77 to 56 vote. The amendments being discussed would deny all legal recognition to same-sex couples and their families, including marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.
So, rather than fixing the problems facing Minnesota, the House Republicans are taking yet another opportunity to attack productive Minnesota families.
Let's see what other goodies the Minnesota Republicans have introduced in the special session:
- HF17: A bill for an act relating to finance; directing revisor of statutes to change term "tax" to "fee" in Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules.
- SF6: A bill for an act proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution; adding a section to
article IV to provide for initiative and referendum; providing procedures for initiative and referendum...
- SF9: A bill for an act relating to the legislature; confining regular legislative sessions to
odd-numbered years (sponsored by everyone's favorite wingnut, Michelle Bachman...how long until her "Academic Bill of Rights" makes it into the special session?)
There are other bills on any number of things. It's open season in the special session...for all legislators. We can blame Governor Pawlenty for that. Rather than working with leadership to find some common ground and agree on an agenda, the Governor called an immediate special session. Only the legislature can end a special session. This bugger could go on for a while.
Many legislators will take the opportunity to try and pass a bill that died when the regular session dies, thus the reintroduction of the marriage ban. Every time the Republicans bring one of these silly-assed bills forward, the DFL should be hitting them with, "Rather than solving the immediate problems facing Minnesota, Republicans are using the special session to attack Minnesota families. They're more interested in political grandstanding than in doing the work they were sent here to do."
Indeed, that's what Dems should be doing overall. Whenever the R's introduce shit, don't debate it on the merits. Treat it as a meritless diversion from the important work of governance. But also treat it as a harmful diversion. Go on the offensive (I'm sure the DFL is plenty capable of doing this...)