For Immediate Release 10/8/00 Contact: Terrell Brown 612-371-3014 LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF MINNESOTA ENDORSES GAY FRIENDLY GOP STATE LEGISLATOR CANDIDATES. Gay supportive Republicans endorsed from Duluth, Rochester, St. Paul and Minneapolis Minneapolis -- The Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota announced its endorsements for state legislator. All candidates endorsed qualified either by having a history of voting for fairness while in the State House or Senate, or by having appropriate answers to the Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota Screening Questionaire or both. "All of these newly endorsed candidates deserve our support for a variety of important reasons," said Terrell Brown, President of Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota. "These candidates want to work with us to build an inclusive big tent Republican Party. They are reaching out to the Gay and Lesbian community, and we need to reach out to them with our volunteer time and financial resources to help them with their campaigns. " Below is a summary of the new endorsements, followed by a current listing of all the LCR MN supported candidates for 2000. (Note: More endorsements will be announced throughout the year.) Chris Berg is challenging an incumbent Democrat in Senate District 64, in the Macalester-Groveland-Highland area in St Paul. Chris was the second legislative candidate to seek us out and request our endorsement. Chris will impliment a nondiscrimination policy in his office, believes sexual contact between consenting adults in the privacy of the home is beyond the bounds of the appropriate concerns of government, and will oppose legislation that would discriminate against gays in the adoption of children. With regard to the Human Rights Act, Chris will oppose efforts to strip Gays and Lesbians of these protections, however, if there is an effort to repeal the Human Rights act for all "protected classes", he would favor doing so. Glen Anderson is running for 66A which is the Lake Como-Lake Phalen area in St Paul. Glen is running on a platform of simpler and lower taxes, strong educational system, and consumer privacy and protections. Glen is undecided on domestic partner benefits, and would want to find a way of offering domestic partner benefits without increasing taxes. He is interested in looking at the Vermont Model, and stated that he does "not agree with the party plank on same-sex marriage." He will initiate a non-discrimination policy in his office, opposes any changes in the Human Rights Act, and will oppose legislation that would discriminate against Gays in adoption. He believes that when consenting adults are involved in sexual matters, governmental involvement is inappropriate. Harry Welty alias "Give Em Hell Harry" is a school board member, who is running to replace Senator Doug Johnson in Duluth. Welty added the LCR/MN questionaire to his website. Welty will impliment a nondiscriminatory hiring policy in his office, opposes the sodomy law, opposes any efforts to strip Gays of the protections they currently have in the State Human Rights Statute, and supports domestic partnership benefits for state employees. Ben Bowman is running against Phyllis Kahn for 59b, a Minneapolis District with a heavily concentrated student population. Bowan supports the Human Rights Act, and opposes any efforts to strip the act of the current protections for gays, opposes the Minnesota Sodomy Law, will implement a nondiscrimination hiring policy in his office, supports domestic partner benefits for State Employees. Ben is undecided on Gay adoption, but stated that he would consult with LCR/MN about any legislation in that area. Steve Braa is running for State Senate in District 61 in Minneapolis. Steve believes government has no business regulating private consensual sexual behavior between adults, that in order to compete for good employees, the State needs to offer Domestic Partner benefits, he would have a non-discrimination policy in his office, and desires to hire "people who can get the job done," supports Domestic Partner Benefits for state employees, opposes any weakening of the Human Rights Act, and will oppose any legislation that would discriminate against Gays in the adoption of children. Lynne Osterman is running for the house in district 46A, a suburban district that includes the New Hope area. Lynne will oppose any efforts to weaken the Human Rights Act, and legislation that would discriminate against gays in the adoption of children. She favors cities and counties being able to set their own benefit policies, including establishing domestic partner benefits. She feels that sexual conduct between consenting adults in the privacy of the home is beyond the bounds of the appropriate concerns of government. Senators Sheila Kiscaden and Martha Robertson are incumbents who were endorsed based on legislative support for Gay and Lesbian Minnesotans. Both of these Senators voted in favor of adding Gays to protecting classes under the Human Rights act in 1993. Peggy Leppik is an incumbent Republican Representative from St Louis Park. Leppik voted in favor of the Human Rights Act in 93 and was one of the few Republican Representatives to do so. She will oppose any efforts to strip Gays and Transgender human rights protections from this law. Leppik favors offering domestic partner benefits to State Employees. She has a non-discrimination policy in place at her office. "Election Day is less than two months away," noted Brown. "We need to do everything we can to help these Republican supporters of our community to get elected. Getting good supportive Republican candidates into the State Legislature doesn't happen by magic. It takes commitment, hard work, and financial support of worthy candidates, and that is why Log Cabin Republicans is here." ### LCR/MN Endorsements for 2000 State Senate: Terrell Brown, District 60, Minneapolis Chris Berg, District 64, St Paul Harry Welty, District 6, Duluth Steve Braa, District 61, Minneapolis Senator Sheila Kiscaden, District 30, Rochester Senator Martha Robertson, District 45, Minnetonka State Represenatatives: Glen Anderson, 66A, St Paul Ben Bowman, 59A, Minneapolis Lynne Osterman, 46A, New Hope Representative Peggy Leppik, 45b, St Louis Park ----------------------------------------------------- Click here for Free Video!! http://www.gohip.com/freevideo/
