(UPDATED) Goodwin on MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill: 'We Are About Fairness'

State Sen. Barb Goodwin, who represents Fridley, spoke in favor of the bill to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota that passed the state Senate Monday.

Updated below: Minnesota state Sen. Barb Goodwin (DFL-Columbia Heights), who represents Fridley, spoke on the floor of the Minnesota Senate Monday against adding exemptions for people who oppose gay marriage to the bill to legalize same sex marriage. Goodwin called the amendment offered by state Sen. Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) "one of the most discriminatory things I have seen in a long time." The amendment, to allow people to refuse services related to gay marriages based on the service-providers sincerely held religious beliefs, failed to pass. "It violates every human rights statute ... that we have," Goodwin said on the Senate floor. "It's important to separate our religious beliefs that we want to impose on others." Goodwin said the …

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Hit a Home Run for Financial Literacy Month

State sponsoring essay contest on financial advices, writes Fridley Senator Barb Goodwin.

Sen. Barb Goodwin 'Hesitant' but Backs MN Gay-Marriage Bill

With 'yes' vote from Fridley's senator, the MN Senate Judiciary Committee sent same-sex marriage bill to full Senate on 5-3 vote. A House committee later followed suit with its version.

A "yes" vote from Fridley's state Senator, Barb Goodwin (DFL-Columbia Heights), helped move a same-sex marriage bill from committee Tuesday to the full Senate. (Click on YouTube from The UpTake to see her comments, or watch them at YouTube.com.) The Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate File 925, a bill extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, on a party-line 5-3 vote Tuesday afternoon. Update: The Minnesota House of Representatives Civil Law Committee heard testimony and debated the House version of the bill Tuesday, approving it late Tuesday night. Lawmakers said they would likely set the bills aside for a while to focus on the budget, according to WCCO. (See "Ex-Legislator: 'I Blew My Vote' on Gay Marriage.") …

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3 Saturday 'Community Conversations' with Goodwin, Bernardy and Laine

Fridley-area legislators are holding public meetings in Fridley, St. Anthony and New Brighton on Feb. 9, 2013.

Preview: Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton's State of the State Address

Gov. Mark Dayton is scheduled to deliver his State of the State address at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the House Chamber.

Gov. Mark Dayton will give his State of the State address Wednesday from the House Chambers at the State Capitol in St. Paul. Watch livestream video of the speech starting at 7 p.m. Central at Fridley Patch via The UpTake. Dayton is not expected to make any new announcements on Wednesday night, but rather take the opportunity to promote his budget proposal and tax overhaul, the Pioneer Press reports. The Governor says his biennial budget proposal will eliminate the state’s $1.1 billion budget deficit and balance government spending and revenue over the next two fiscal years while putting an end to the “fiscal games” and “accounting gimmicks” of the last decade. Dayton’s proposals include cutting the sales tax rate from 6.875 percent to 5.5…

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Fridley Resident Reads Prayer at Minnesota Senate

Rev. Dodd Lamberton, senior pastor at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church in northeast Minneapolis read the prayer to open the Senate session Monday.

Rev. Dodd Lamberton, senior pastor at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church and a resident of Fridley, offered the prayer to start the day at the Minnesota Senate on Monday. Here is what Rev. Lamberton said Monday, as the Senate's chaplain for the day:  For a growing number of people, the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have become more than suggestions. Along with regular attendance at 12 Step meetings in relationship with other recovering people, they become a way of living—sober—one day at a time. At a 12 Step meeting not long ago a newcomer talked about how shocking sobriety is after many years of active addiction. He made the word "sober" into an acronym. For him, SOBER has come to mean "Son of a gun, everything's real." Well, every day is …

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President Obama's Visit to MN Kicks Off Week of Gun Control Debates

Several House bills concerning gun laws will take center stage in the Minnesota Legislature starting Tuesday. Fridley's state senator also authored a gun bill.

The debate over gun control will dominate politics in Minnesota this week. President Barack Obama will start the discussion with a visit to Minneapolis on Monday to deliver remarks and discuss with local leaders and law enforcement officials his “comprehensive set of commonsense ideas” to reduce gun violence. "Minneapolis is a city that has taken important steps to reduce gun violence and foster a conversation in the community about what further action is needed," a White House news release states. "President Obama will visit with members of the community about their experiences and discuss additional steps that can be taken at the federal level to reduce gun violence." On the local level, several bills concerning gun laws were introduced …

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Capitol Review

Capitol Review: Legislators Invite Public to Community Meetings

A weekly roundup of bills introduced and other news from Fridley's legislators: Sen. Barb Goodwin and Rep. Connie Bernardy.

Fridley's representatives at the state Capitol, Sen. Barb Goodwin and Rep. Connie Bernardy, didn't introduce or co-author any new bills since the last Fridley Patch Capitol Review on Jan. 22, 2013. They did, however, issue statements inviting the public to upcoming meetings in the community: Bernardy also issued a statement Monday on Gov. Mark Dayton's budget proposal. "Governor Dayton's budget is a good place to start," Bernardy said. "It gives us the opportunity to invest in our communities by supporting education. Funding for all day every day kindergarten and early childhood education are great ways to help our children succeed in the future. Overall, it is a great start for us. Our job as legislators is to take the Governor's proposal…

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Goodwin: Come to 'Community Conversations'

In letter to the editor, Sen. Barb Goodwin announces three public meetings with Reps. Connie Bernardy and Carolyn Laine on Feb. 9.

To the editor: I would like to invite all residents of Senate District 41 to join Rep. Carolyn Laine, Rep. Connie Bernardy and me to any of the three Community Conversations being held Feb. 9, 2013. Community Conversations give constituents an opportunity to meet with legislators and share ideas on legislative concerns facing our district and the state. Constituents will have three opportunities on Feb. 9: With the governor’s budget recently released, we will have plenty to talk about. Your input is very valuable. Please take this opportunity to get involved in the political process. Residents in Senate District 41 include the cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, New Brighton, St. Anthony Village and parts of Spring Lake Park.

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Capitol Review

Capitol Review: Fridley Legislators Offer Bills on Guns, Grandparents, Kindergarten and More

Here is the latest legislation from Sen. Barb Goodwin and Rep. Connie Bernardy.

Here is some of what Fridley's delegation was up to during the past week of the Minnesota Legislature session, which began Jan. 8, 2013: Minnesota Senate Sen. Barb Goodwin, who represents Fridley, introduced five bills as chief author since our last Capitol Review post on Jan. 14: S.F. 44: Health records copying costs reduction S.F. 45: Grandparent visitation provisions modification S.F. 46: Firearms possession restoration for violent felons repeal S.F. 47: Theatrical productions smoking prohibition S.F. 64: Convicted violent felons gun ownership rights restoration authorization Two of Goodwin's bills—the session's first gun bill and the ban on actors smoking on stage—drew media attention last week. Minnesota House of Representatives Rep. …

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