In what may be a first, Minnesota state Senator Branden Petersen is poised to become a sponsor of the marriage equality bill being introduced in the state. Salon.com says he would be the first ever GOP co-sponsor of a marriage equality bill, and that he has had quite a turnaround since 2011:
The move is a big turnaround for Petersen, who in 2011 was one of 69 Republican legislators to vote in favor of a constitutional ballot amendment banning same-sex marriage in the state. Voters defeated the measure in November 2012, and today Petersen is singing a very different tune. “At this point, I am concerned about doing the right thing,” Petersen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I have a certain amount of peace about that, and I will let the chips fall where they may.”
Kudos to Senator Petersen for reconsidering his old views on marriage equality – let’s hope this is the first of many GOP sponsors of marriage equality bills around the country.
