VOICES | It’s time to move forward with gay marriage legislation

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Last session, along with several of my colleagues, I introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriages in Minnesota. Now we are asking for a hearing on the legislation in the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 2009 legislative session. Minnesota’s law prohibits any gay or lesbian from marrying the person they love. Our legislation would repeal that prohibition and extend equal marriage rights to all people regardless of sexual orientation. This effort is made with no illusion about the difficulty of passing the legislation. Continue Reading

VOICES | Love and loss

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It is a cold morning, the coldest yet this season, and I throw on my long, warm coat. It’s a coat to snuggle down into: thick black plush, with lavish faux fur lapels and cuffs. “Mama Bear!” said my 8-year-old, delighted at the appearance of the coat for the first time this fall. “Your Mama Bear coat! Continue Reading

VOICES | Civil rights for all—or just some?

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Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks on election night when I heard Katie Couric call Barack Obama our next president. When I was a little girl growing up in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, I never dreamt a man of color would be the leader of the free world. I felt that our nation was voting for hope, love and change. My tears of joy turned into sadness when I learned that Proposition 8, the ballot measure to overturn the California Supreme Court’s decision allowing same-sex marriage, overwhelmingly passed. Continue Reading

VOICES | Nixon’s ‘Southern Strategy’ worked

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Former President Richard Nixon might well be turning over in his grave with satisfaction for the results of the election on November 4 because of the fact that the political strategy he initiated more than 40 years ago was successful. Yet, for his party it has proved to be dismal failure. One has only to look at the map of the United States and plot the so-called red states against the blue states to graphically verify my contentions. One will be quick to notice that the Southern portion of the U.S. is colored in deep red, from Charleston, S.C., to Dallas, Texas. An example of this Southern Republican domination is demonstrated in the fact that 90 percent of the White voters in Alabama and Mississippi supported John McCain, according to the Associated Press. Continue Reading

VOICES | Crashing to the bottom of the country

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We all know that Minnesota is the state where absolutely nothing is allowed, a benighted place in oppressive thrall, to quote a recent online post, to “all this busybody namby-pamby Big Brother regulation.” But let’s check that conventional wisdom against reality, starting with a new report that found the Gopher State’s traffic safety laws tied for fourth loosest in the country. According to the Emergency Nurses Association, 44 states and the District of Columbia – among them Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming and even the “Live Free or Die” state of New Hampshire — are more restrictive of liberty than Minnesota in pursuit of reduced carnage on public roads. Laws in this large majority of the states actually force drivers to buckle their seat belts, wear helmets when motorcycling and strap their small kids into car booster seats. Oh, the horror! Continue Reading

VOICES | A bold step forward for education

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Minnesota faces a tough economic situation but that doesn’t change the fact that education is an important long-term investment with tangible benefits. Contributing to the sense of crises, state policymakers have neglected public education, undermining Minnesota’s future growth. Fortunately, there’s still time to reverse that trend. Last week, Growth and Justice, another progressive Minnesota think tank, released a two year study on state education investment. “Smart Investments in Minnesota’s Students, A Research-Based Investment Proposal” is a multi-decade approach to improving both our education system and our economy. Continue Reading

VOICES | Ugly campaign tactics are destroying our democracy

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Many Americans were thrilled with the results of the recent election. Others were disappointed. But, regardless of how one felt about the outcome, the campaign process was ugly – not something that any American can be proud of. Think about the democracy the nation’s founding fathers envisioned. They expected and engaged in hardball politics, some unfair attacks, and they were wise enough to recognize that the political process would never be flawless. Continue Reading

VOICES | Idiot America: Fight anti-intellectualism, uphold value of education

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We are sending our schoolchildren a twisted message of tortured logic about education. On the one hand, we’re telling them to go to college, get some knowledge, and stay there until they’re through. On the other hand, we’re telling them via media messaging that to do so would make them intellectual elitists and somehow anti-American. Excuse me. What?!! Continue Reading

VOICES | Pawlenty’s Policy Greenwash

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A dubious idea, dressed as environmentally friendly, renewable energy policy, is still a dubious idea. But, that’s not stopping Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty from “greenwashing” his failed JOBZ economic development policy, trying to convince Minnesotans that bad policy, if reframed as “green,” isn’t so bad after all. On Monday, November 10, Governor Pawlenty flew around Minnesota, repeatedly announcing his green energy jobs initiative. He proposed a $3.7 million investment tax credit, economic development package for renewable energy companies. That’s just the first year; the price climbs with time and proposed program expansion. Continue Reading