Fox 9 News hosted a debate on Tuesday between Pastor Brad Brandon, who frequently speaks out against homosexuality on his radio show, the Word or Truth, and openly gay Pastor Pastor Oby Ballinger, part of OutFront Minnesota’s faith steering committee. But Fox anchor Marni Hughes got the facts wrong in introducing the pastors. She said that the marriage amendment would allow Minnesotans to vote “for or against gay marriage,” as community activist Jake Reitan points out is not true.
“She is wrong,” Reitan said via Facebook. “That is not the vote Minnesotans would be making in 2012. Instead it would be a vote for or against amending the Minnesota Constitution to ban gay marriage. If someone votes against the amendment, they are not voting for gay marriage and if the amendment fails, gay marriage would not be created in Minnesota. Heidi’s way of framing the argument is sloppy reporting at best, and anti-gay at worst.”
He added that this is the key point: “The anti-gay forces in Minnesota would like people to believe we would merely be voting for or against gay marriage. When they say this, they lie. Fox 9 can’t support that lie. They need to report the facts.”
Reitan adds two ways that Collin’s reporting is off:
1) If State House and the State Senate pass the amendment, then Minnesotans will be asked to vote to amend our state constitution to ban marriage equality. A no vote does not create gay marriage.
2) The State Senate and the State House are not merely voting to “let the people vote.” Our state constitution has a three step process to amending our constitution. Three bodies of people need to agree in order for our constitution to be amended: our state house, our state senate and a majority of the citizens of the state voting in a given election. When and if the State House or the State Senate pass the amendment they are in fact voting to amend the constitution..they are not as so many people like to say voting to “let the people vote.”
Here’s Collin’s reporting as well as the debate between the pastors: