State Sen. Branden Petersen's support of same-sex marriage continues to reverberate in his district.
Last week, his Senate district's Republican executive committee announced it voted to admonish the first-term Senator, who voted last month to legalize same-sex marriage. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill legalizing same sex marriage last month and Minnesota gay couples can be legally wed in August.
The 'no confidence' motion, said several members of the executive committee, was not because Petersen supported legalization, rather it was his actions around that decision.
"It wasn't really his view of on the marriage issue, it was just multiple violations of our trust," said SD35 deputy chair Don Huizenga.
He and others said that Petersen's lack of early disclosure about his marriage views raised local Republicans' ire as did his May fundraising letter in support of the pro-legalization MN United PAC. The MN United PAC has pledged to support lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who backed same-sex marriage.
Petersen, R-Andover, said he does not believe that those ancillary actions fired up the local Republicans.
"What's at the root at the issue is the issue itself, which is gay marriage," said Petersen.
He said he met with local Republicans after he made his decision on the marriage bill, which he co-sponsored. As to the complaint about the PAC letter, Petersen said it is no different than the support a lawmaker would give to the National Rifle Association or Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, both of which support lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
