Gov. Pawlenty: No Choice for Local Government

Updated. A bill that would give control to local municipalities in deciding who could receive domestic partner benefits was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty Monday. The legislation would have allowed local communities, such as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, to offer domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples. Local municipalities are forbidden from offering same-sex domestic partner benefits due to a 1995 lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis.

“This is an outrage,” said OutFront Minnesota Executive Director Ann DeGroot. “This veto is not good government,” said DeGroot. “It’s the state telling local governments what they can and cannot do. We thought the governor supported local control. The governor has chosen to make a political point over good public policy.”

“We applaud Governor Pawlenty for vetoing bills that were nothing more than bait-and-switch schemes to legalize marriage-like status for same-sex couples," said Chuck Darrell, director of communications for Minnesota Family Council. “Legislators and the people of Minnesota must understand that domestic partnerships, and the rest of the OutFront agenda, are not compromise," said Darrell. "Instead of closure, these measures will put supporters closer to legalizing same-sex marriage – exactly what many legislators say they oppose," he said.

City officials disagree, however. "With this veto, the Governor has turned his back on a central Republican tenant: local control. Local governments should be able to compete for qualified employees by providing competitive benefits. Domestic partnership benefits are granted by Minnesota companies like General Mills, Target and US Bank, and should be provided by local governments also," said city councilmember Gary Schiff. "The Governor is out of touch with Minnesota values," he said.

Of the four measures intended to help LGBT people this legislative session, only one issue remains viable: a bill giving same-sex domestic partners the right to visit partners in the hospital during medical emergencies. Bills to provide sick leave time for same-sex partners, and to provide health care for the same-sex partners were both removed by the DFL under threat of veto by Gov. Pawlenty last week.