Same sex marriage amendment is on

GOP Rep. Steve Gottwalt introduces the proposed constitutional amendment to limit marriage to one man and one woman, to be put before voters in 2012 general election ballot.

Gottwalt: "This is not about hatred. This is not about discrimination or intolerance. I have faith that we as Minnesotans can have a reasonable discussion."

Karen Clark, the only openly lesbian member of the Legislature, responds: talks about her partner, Jacquelyn, and the state's human rights law. One of my colleagues across the aisle says he knows I love my partner Jacquelyn as much as he loves his wife. It's a tender truth. I have paid my dues, my required share... You will have to face me, and your own constituents. We are offering you a choice to do something different."

Updates will follow in reverse chronological order, below.

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10:08 PM After nearly four hours of debate, 20 DFLers have spoken, three Republicans. Only Gottwalt, amendment's sponsor, has stood up to speak for amendment so far.

9:14 PM More personal stories. Jeff Hayden, DFL-Mpls, says his own interracial marriage was once barred by law, urges his colleagues not to raise similar bar for same-sex couples. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, says his own brother is openly gay. "I got my butt kicked defending my baby brother" in inner-city Chicago, where there was "immense intolerance."

Midnight Marriage amendment passes 70-62, a mostly party line vote. GOP no votes included John Kriesel, Cottage Grove; Steve Smith, Mound; Tim Kelly, Red Wing; Rich Murray, Albert Lea. DFL yes votes included Denise Dittrich, Champlin, and Lyle Koenen, Clara City.

8:40 PM Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, tells of the anti-semitic sentiment in his Duluth neighborhood growing up. "Do not enshrine discrimination in our constitution."

8:17 PMDFL caucus spokeswoman says Rep. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-MInneapolis had to leave state for family emergency. Says he and David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, are both officially excused.

8:06 PMRep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter, has told House that his great-grandfather was a slave, grandfather identified as a black man, and that his own family had once feared to travel to the South for fear of miscegenation laws, since struck down. Compares them to same-sex marriage ban. DFL Rep. John Ward, with who has a disabled arm, told of being refused every summer job -- even clerical duties -- by his father's railroad. "I have walked in those shoes, faced discrimination."

7:16 Here's the roll call on the re-referral vote:

NO: Abeler; Anderson, B., Anderson D., Anderson P., Anderson S., Banian, Barrett, Beard, Benson M., Bills, Buesgens, Cornish, Crawford, Daudt, Davids, Dean, Dettmer, Doepke, Downey, Drazkowski, Erickson, Fabian, Franson, Garafolo, Gottwalt, Gruenhagen, Gunther, Hackbarth, Hamilton, Hancock, Holberg, Hoppe, Howes, Kelly, Kieffer, Kiel, Kiffmeyer, Lanning, Leidiger, LeMieur, Lohmer, Loon, Mach, Marazol, McDonald, McElfatrick, McFarlane, McNamara, Murdock, Murray, Myhra, Nornes, O'Driscoll, Peppin, Petersen B., Quam, Runbeck, Sanders, Schomacker, Scott, Shimanski, Smith, Stensrud, Swedzinski, Torkelson, Urdahl, Vogel, Wardlow, Westrom, Woodard, Zellers

YES: Anzelc, Atkins, Benson J., Brynaert, Carlson, Clark, Davnie, Dittrich, Eken, Falk, Fritz, Gauthier, Greene, Greiling, Hansen, Hausman, Hayden, Hilstrom, Hilty, Hornstein, Hortman, Hosch, Huntley, Johnson, Kahn, Kath, Knuth, Koenen, Kriesel, Laine,Lenczewski, Lesch, Liebling, Lillie, Loeffler, Mahoney, Mariani, Marquart, Melin, Moran, Morrow, Mullery, Murphy E., Murphy M., Nelson, Norton, Paymar, Pelowski, Persell, Peterson S., Poppe, Rukavina, Scalze, Simon, Slawik, Slocum, Thissen, Tillberry, Wagenius, Ward, Winkler

DID NOT VOTE: Dill, Champion

7:01 House votes down motion for re-referral to judiciary committee 61-71

6:51GOP Rep. Tim Kelly, Red Wing, rises to oppose re-referral, but says he also opposes putting on the ballot "an amendment to remove some personal choices and freedoms from a select few. In my mind, we're starting to talk about prejudice."

6:58Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, asks DFLer Murphy to withdraw re-referral, says "I believe people on this side of the aisle will... vote this amendment down."

6:48 Call of the house. DFLer Denise Dittrich, Champlin, speaks in favor, says she's changed her mind since 2005.

6:40 PMDFLer Larry Hosch says he voted to support the measure in 2005. Says he has changed his mind. Asks to re-refer measure.

6:30 PM: Motion on the floor is re-referral to judiciary committee, offered by DFLer Erin Murpy, 64A, of St. Paul. Clark, of Minneapolis, is speaking in support of the motion. This will be a key test vote.