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California

Governor Appeals Injunction Blocking Enforcement Of Law Prohibiting Conversion Therapy For Minors

SAN FRANCISCO -- California Governor Jerry Brown on Wednesday appealed a U. S. District Court injunction that has blocked the enforcement of a new law that prohibits providing LGBTQ minors with therapy aimed at 'converting' them to being heterosexual.

The notice of appeal was filed on behalf of Brown and the Medical Board of California by state Attorney General Kamala Harris with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which decided December 21 to block the law that took effect January 1 pending a decision on its constitutionality.

A small group of therapists and religious groups argued that the law infringes on their rights to free speech, but Harris has called conversion therapy "unsound and harmful." Harris asked the court Wednesday to look at a recent decision by U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller upholding the law.

"Defendants wish to apprise the 9th Circuit of a related case currently pending before it […] denying a motion for a preliminary injunction that would have enjoined enforcement of Senate Bill 1172," Harris wrote. "Both appeals involve the constitutionality of Senate Bill 1172 and raise the same and/or closely related legal issues."

Minnesota

Minnesota Senate To Debate Same Sex Marriage Law In 2013

Sen. Scott Dribble, (D-Minneapolis)

SAINT PAUL -- The openly gay Minnesota state senator who will take the lead in that chamber on a bill to legalize same sex marriage,  Scott Dibble, (D-Minneapolis) says that proponents of legalising same-sex marriage are slated to wait at least a month or two into the upcoming legislative session before they start to push it hard.

Dibble told local media outlets Wednesday that Democrats taking power in the legislature next week plan to focus early in the session on what he called "kitchen-table issues" of improving the economy and creating jobs. But he says gay marriage backers in the Legislature want a vote in 2013.

Dibble also indicated that he too believes allowing same-sex couples to marry is a kitchen-table issue too. Another Democratic state senator, John Marty, has pushed for a same-sex marriage vote this year, but said he'll let Dibble take the lead.

A push to define marriage as only between a woman and a man in the state constitution, strengthening state law which already bans gay marriage, was defeated by Minnesota voters in November.