Same-sex marriage in Minnesota

Same-sex marriage in Minnesota has been recognized if performed in other jurisdictions since July 1, 2013, and the state began issuing its own same-sex marriage licenses on August 1, 2013. Minnesota is the twelfth U.S. state and thirteenth U.S. jurisdiction (including Washington D.C) to legalize marriage between same-sex couples, and the second state in the Midwest to do so.

Lawsuits
Baker v. Nelson was the first case in United States history in which a same-sex couple sued over marriage rights. In 1971, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Minnesota's laws prohibited marriages between same-sex partners and did not violate the federal constitution. On October 10, 1972, the Supreme Court, declining to hear the case on appeal, issued a one-sentence order that said: "The appeal is dismissed for want of a substantial federal question."

In May 2010, Marry Me Minnesota, a gay rights organization, sued the state of Minnesota, challenging the state's Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1997. The trial court dismissed the suit in March 2011, citing Baker v. Nelson as "binding precedent." Marry Me Minnesota, founded by same-sex couples for the purpose of suing the state, announced plans to appeal the decision.

Efforts to amend the state constitution
In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009, bills were introduced into the Minnesota House and Senate to have the voters consider an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution restricting marriage to unions between a man and a woman and outlawing civil unions that offer comparable rights.

On May 11, 2011, the Minnesota Senate passed a bill to place a proposed amendment to the state constitution on the ballot that would ban same-sex marriage, though not civil unions. The question being presented to voters on the ballot reads: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?" The amendment would later be defeated by Minnesota voters, making Minnesota the second US state to reject a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. (Arizona rejected a ban on same-sex marriages and civil unions in 2006 and then adopted a ban on same-sex marriages in 2008.)

On November 6, 2012, a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex unions, passed by the legislature in 2011, was rejected by 52.6% of voters. Minnesota became the second state to reject such a ban through popular referendum. On May 9, 2013, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage on a vote of 75 to 59. On May 13, 2013, the Minnesota Senate passed the bill on a vote of 37-30. Governor Mark Dayton signed the bill into law on May 14, with the legalization of same-sex marriages taking effect on August 1, 2013.

Legislation
In 1997, the state legislature passed a statutory ban on same-sex marriage shortly after passage of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Late in 2008, State Sen. John Marty, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party(DFL)-Roseville, announced plans to introduce a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. On February 19, 2009 a bill to allow civil unions in Minnesota was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives sponsored by Reps. Joe Mullery, Mindy Greiling, and Tom Tillberry. On March 5, 2009, a bill to allow same-sex marriage in Minnesota was introduced in the Minnesota Senate. Its authors were Marty and Sens. D. Scott Dibble, Linda Higgins, Mee Moua, and Patricia Torres Ray. The bill failed to get a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In December 2012, Rep. Alice Hausman and Sen. Marty announced plans to introduce same-sex marriage legislation in 2013. They and legislative leaders expressed varying views on its prospects. In January 2013, Dibble said Democrats planned to focus early in the session on "kitchen-table issues" of improving the economy and creating jobs and would wait at least a month or two before pressing for the legalization of same-sex marriage. On February 28, 2013, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. On March 12 both the Senate and House policy committees passed the same version of the marriage bill, Senate bill SF925 and House Bill HF1054. Other committees of each house reviewed the financial impact of the legislation on 6 and 7 May. On May 9, 2013, the House passed same-sex marriage legislation by a vote of 75-59, with all but two Democrats voting for the bill and all but four Republicans voting against. On May 13, 2013, the Senate passed the bill on a vote of 37-30, with all but three Democrats voting for the bill and all but one Republican voting against. Governor Mark Dayton signed the bill into law on May 14, 2013; it will take effect on August 1, 2013. The legislation also gives Minnesota courts authority over divorce proceedings in the case of a same-sex couple married in Minnesota when neither party resides in a state that recognizes their marriage.

Public opinion
A May 2011 Public Policy Polling survey found that 46% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 45% opposed it and 9% were not sure. A separate question in the same survey found that, with the option of civil unions but not marriage, 72% of Minnesota voters supported legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 38% supporting same-sex marriage, 34% supporting civil unions, 26% opposing any legal recognition, and 2% not sure.

A January 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found that 43% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 47% opposed it and 10% were not sure. A separate question in the same survey found that, with the option of civil unions but not marriage, 71% of Minnesota voters supported legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 37% supporting same-sex marriage, 34% supporting civil unions, 27% opposing any legal recognition, and 2% not sure.

A June 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found that 47% supported same-sex marriage and 42% were opposed. 11% were unsure.

A September 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found that 43% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 46% opposed it and 11% were not sure. A separate question in the same survey found that, with the option of civil unions but not marriage, 72% of Minnesota voters supported legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 40% supporting same-sex marriage, 32% supporting civil unions, 25% opposing any legal recognition, and 3% not sure.

A October 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found that 47% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 43% opposed it and 10% were not sure. A separate question in the same survey found that, with the option of civil unions but not marriage, 74% of Minnesota voters supported legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 43% supporting same-sex marriage, 31% supporting civil unions, 24% opposing any legal recognition, and 2% not sure.

A November 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found that 49% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 41% opposed it and 10% were not sure.

A January 2013 Public Policy Polling survey found that 47% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 45% opposed it. Voters under 45 support same-sex marriage by a 53/38 margin, but only 36/54 of seniors do so.

An April 2013 SurveyUSA poll found that 51% of Minnesota voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 47% opposed it and 2% were not sure.

Domestic partner registry
Eighteen cities in Minnesota, covering a total population of more than one million, have domestic partner registries allowing unmarried homosexual and heterosexual couples the right to obtain a certificate signifying that they are not related by blood and are committed to each other:
 * Minneapolis (1991)
 * Duluth (2009)
 * St. Paul (2009)
 * Edina (2010)
 * Rochester (2010)
 * Maplewood (2010)
 * Golden Valley (2010)
 * St. Louis Park (2011)
 * Red Wing (2011)
 * Richfield (2011)
 * Shoreview (2011)
 * Robbinsdale (2011)
 * Falcon Heights (2011)
 * Hopkins (2011)
 * Shorewood (2011)
 * Crystal (2011)
 * Eagan (2012)
 * Eden Prairie (2012)