Politics & Policy

New taxes and the legalization of same-sex marriage were hallmarks of a legislative session in which DFLers wielded more power than they’ve had in a generation.

Almost lost amid last week’s celebrations of the same-sex marriage bill that became law, a handful of Latino activists camped out on the Minnesota State Capitol lawn, hoping to win passage of a Driver’s Licenses for All bill. Some of them were on a hunger strike to prove a point that even undocumented citizens need a drivers license.

The Minnesota State Capitol filled with loud cheers and chants of "Sí, se pudo," ("Yes we could") Saturday night, after the Senate passed a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The next step: the bill would need to pass the full House of Representatives before the May 20 adjournment to have a chance of becoming law.  Governor Dayton has promised he will meet with the bill's supporters if it is passed by the legislature. 

An estimated 7,000 people partied down in St. Paul Tuesday, coming to the Capitol lawn and braving record 98-degree heat to celebrate the dawn of a new era: Same-sex marriages are now enshrined in law — a law signed under the blazing sun by Gov. Mark Dayton after a week’s worth of impassioned debates in the Legislature, years of tumultuous politics and decades of effort by a GLBT community that wouldn’t take no for an answer.