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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

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Anti-gay marriage group hits Koering for partners bill

Senator denies claim of incremental strategy

By MIKE O'ROURKE

Associate Editor

Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, and other lawmakers came under fire Tuesday from Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage for sponsoring a bill the family advocacy group claims is part of an incremental strategy to legalize gay marriage.

Koering, one of four Senate authors of the bill, said it would allow local units of government to offer domestic partner benefits to their employees if they chose to do so. He rejected the pro-marriage group's contention that the bill, introduced last week, is part of a larger strategy to legalize gay marriage.

"I don't believe that for a second," Koering said.

The bill is the Local Government Unit Dependent Definition Modification.

Sen. Paul Koering

Koering said the bill is a local control issue. It allows local governments to decide if they want to offer domestic partner benefits to their employees.

"I have always been and always will be a local control person," Koering said. "I believe cities and counties and municipalities best know what decisions to make at the local level."

Koering said he's not the chief author of the bill, but the citizens group, which supported his opponent in the Republican primary and criticized Koering in mailings just before that primary contest, is targeting him.

"It's pretty clear they're singling me out again," Koering said. "It's a group that is...I think we can all figure out what their true motivation is."

Koering, the state's only openly gay Republican legislator, announced his sexual preference in 2005 and overcame a primary challenge to eventually win re-election to a second four-year term last November.

Jeff Davis, president of Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage, said Tuesday's news release criticizing Koering was tailor-made for Senate District 12 news outlets. Koering was the only lawmaker listed in that news release. A general news release on the organization's Web site listed all 28 sponsors, including Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids, and Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL-Grand Rapids.

Neither Saxhaug or Solberg, whose districts include Aitkin County, could be reached for comment Tuesday.

"It had nothing to do with getting even," Davis said.

The organization's web site describes the organization as a nonpartisan grassroots group working to pass a constitutional amendment bill defining marriage as "the union of one man and one woman, with no other relationship being recognized as marriage or its legal equivalent." The Web site states "MCDM is not a homosexual hate group."

Davis said the local control argument was a ruse, claiming the measure was part of an incremental strategy to legalize gay marriage. To support his argument he said that the proposal is part of OutFront Minnesota's list of legislative initiatives.

"They're (bill supporters) trying to sneak this under the radar screen," Davis said. "That's my read."

Supporters said domestic partner benefits would help local governments attract the best employees while treating all workers equally. Three Republicans and 25 Democrats are sponsoring the bill.

Domestic partner benefits are not a new controversy at the Capitol. During Gov. Tim Pawlenty's days as GOP House Majority Leader, he helped lead the charge to repeal the benefits for state employees and prevent them from being offered to House employees.

Spokesman Brian McClung said the governor's position on the issue hasn't changed.

Local governments can't offer domestic partner benefits since the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled in 1995 that Minneapolis overreached its authority by trying to do so without explicit legislative approval. The ruling reads: "Discrimination, as well as the definition of family relationships and dependent status, are statewide concerns."

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is eager to put the benefits back in place. He said it would help the city attract talented employees who can get similar perks in the private sector.

"I would move on this within seconds of passage, because domestic partner benefits are the right thing to do and the smart thing to do," Rybak said.

Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson said he, too, would look into providing the benefits if the state authorized them, although he said it wouldn't affect a large number of city workers.

"I support human rights and it's just a flat-out fair thing to do," Bergson said.

Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede said he personally supports the legislation but he doesn't know how his city would respond if it passed.

This story contains information compiled by The Associated Press. MIKE O'ROURKE can be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.

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