Minnesota Democrats push to end their state version of DOMA

As the GOP in Minnesota try to ban gay marriage, the Democrats came back hard with a bill (the Marriage and Family Protection Act) that would repeal their state version of DOMA.

Here's some more info:

“Marriage is a legal institution recognized by the state to promote stable relationships and to protect people in those relationships and their children,” the bill states. “Minnesota’s current marriage law discriminates against same-sex couples, denying them and their families rights and responsibilities, including the right to pension and Social Security survivor’s benefits, the right to family and medical leave, and numerous other benefits and obligations. The state has an interest in encouraging stable relationships regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the partners and the entire community benefits when couples undertake the mutual obligations of marriage.”


The bill removes language from Minnesota statutes stemming from the 1997 Defense of Marriage Act. Instead, statutes that refer to “husband” and “wife” would also refer to “spouse.”


Doug Benson of Marriage Equality Minnesota, which helped draft a similar bill last year, said the bill isn’t likely to go anywhere.


“With little chance of passage this biennium, it is largely a symbolic gesture, but symbols are important,” he said. “We are pushing forward toward equality in the face of our oppressors’ onslaught,” he added, referring to a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

I think this is a solid gesture. I hope they try to stop this silly marriage ban.

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WATCH: Mike Huckabee believes Gay Marriage with cost Obama Latino & African American Votes

Oh Mike, you know very little about this game

VIDEO: AG Eric Holder explains why the DOJ no longer defends DOMA

The NRA drops King & Spalding over the DOMA case

I guess this will be a trend with these people. The NRA (the Gun Club for Men) dumped King and Spalding because... You guessed it. The DOMA case. Here's their letter of concern:

We are writing to notify you of our decision to terminate our legal services agreement with King & Spalding, effective immediately, due to the firm's decision to bow to political pressure and abandon a client in the midst of a legal representation. Specifically, our decision is motivated by your withdrawal as counsel for the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the U.S. House of Representatives in defense of Section III of the Defense of Marriage Act.

We believe King & Spalding's decision is indefensible and raises serious concerns about its ability to be a reliable and effective advocate for any client facing potentially controversial litigation.

To be clear, our decision is not motivated by any position on the statute itself. As you know, the National Rifle Association is a single-issue organization dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment. We are, however, often involved in controversial issues on which emotions can run high. This is as true in the legal arena as it is in the legislative. It goes without saying that in situations in which we retain outside counsel, we expect them to zealously advocate for our interests and not abandon the representation due to pressure from those who may disagree with us.

The representation we have received to date from King & Spalding, specifically by former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, has been outstanding. Given your firm's recent conduct, we cannot continue to rely on King & Spalding to represent the NRA. Indeed, your decision only serves to embolden ideological organizations to protest the legal representation of other organizations with which they disagree, with the goal of freezing their opponents out of legal representation entirely. That, in turn, threatens the very principles on which our legal system is based.

Therefore, we hereby terminate our legal services agreement with King & Spalding.

Interesting. I see that these fallouts will show us who's really on our side.

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VA Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli ends his relationship with King & Spalding

Ken Cuccinelli is being a little bitter. Since King & Spalding dropped the DOMA case, he is dropping them. But why? Here's his reason:

"King & Spalding's willingness to drop a client, the U.S. House of Representatives, in connection with the lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was such an obsequious act of weakness that I feel compelled to end your legal association with Virginia so that there is no chance that one of my legal clients will be put in the embarrassing and difficult situation like the client you walked away from, the House of Representatives."

Weakness? Maybe common sense? Maybe since they expressed their support of the LGBT community before all this? Who knows, but I think they will be able to sleep at night knowing Ken no longer needs their services.

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