Woodbury Sen. Kent on Same-Sex Marriage Bill: ‘Fairness, Equality, Rights and Justice’

As the state Senate passed a bill Monday that will make Minnesota the 12th state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry, Woodbury Sen. Susan Kent said the legislation is about “fairness, equality, rights and justice.”

The bill passed by 37-30 vote, and Gov. Mark Dayton announced a signing ceremony planned for 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 14.

Last week, Woodbury Reps. Andrea Kieffer, a Republican, and JoAnn Ward, a DFLer, both voted in favor of the bill in the lower chamber.

Below is Kent’s statement in full:

“This bill is about fairness, equality, rights and justice. It is for loving, committed couples who need the protection that marriage provides so they can visit their partner in the hospital and their children have legal and emotional security.  

“We need to ensure all couples have the same rights and recognitions under law without jeopardizing religious liberty. This bill explicitly states that no church or religious institution is required to perform, participate in or support a marriage that violates its religious doctrine. Additionally, the legislation adopts the term ‘civil marriage’ to better distinguish it from religious marriages. 

“In addition to bipartisan support in the Senate, both representatives from District 53, Representative JoAnn Ward (DFL-Woodbury, 53A) and Representative Andrea Kieffer (R-Woodbury, 53B), supported the measure last week. People on both sides of the aisle are putting aside partisanship to support love, freedom and equality.” 

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