




"We will pass this bill," said a confident Rep. Karen Clark, DFL-Minneapolis, after the committee vote.

House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, has said he wouldn't schedule a floor vote on the bill until he knows it would pass.





And a UCLA law school study released in April estimated gay marriage would add $42 million to Minnesota's economy and $3 million in tax revenue in the first three years.




"In New York, we were promised that the religious freedom amendment to our same-sex marriage legislation would do the job," said the Rev. Jason McGuire, CEO of the New Yorker's Family Research Foundation. "Our legislators bought the lie and today every New Yorker is living the lie."

Supporters of gay marriage argue that's not the case.


He said the examples cited by Minnesota for Marriage, a group opposed to same-sex marriage, would already be illegal under the state's human rights laws.

"One of the things that is most notable is that if passed, Minnesota's marriage law would provide the most expansive religious protections in the nation," Carlbom said.

And he said religious freedom cuts both ways. Many Episcopal churches want to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples, Carlbom said, but can't under current law.

Also Monday, Minnesotans United for All Families launched a "Countdown to Marriage" campaign to serve as a daily reminder to gay-marriage supporters that "Minnesota is on the brink of finally allowing same-sex couples the freedom to marry and protect their families" and to contact their legislators.


Democratic-Farmer-Labor legislators control the House and Senate. But there are 17 non-metro DFLers seen as swing votes because their party favors legalizing gay marriage but they represent districts that supported the last fall's unsuccessful effort to place an amendment in the state constitution limiting marriages to heterosexual couples.

House leaders would need at least 12 of those DFLers to vote "yes" to pass the bill if there is no Republican support. And so far, no GOP House members have said they'll vote in favor.

Seven DFLers from those swing districts have told the Pioneer Press they will vote "yes" on the bill and two are "no" votes. The others wouldn't commit or comment.


Almost 64 percent of voters in McNamar's district voted in favor of the marriage amendment, but he has said he remains undecided.

"This is the hardest vote I've ever had," McNamar said last week. "This vote, it tears at your heart."
