Washington, Minnesota marriage forces move to next causes

Baird Helgeson

One of the things to watch in coming months is how the energy behind the fight for and against same-sex marriage moves to other issues and campaigns.

Minnesota is still two weeks away from recognizing same-sex marriage, but campaign leaders on both sides have already either returned to their pre-campaign posts or taken new jobs.

Richard Carlbom, campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families, has moved to a national job with Freedom to Marry to try to bring same-sex marriage to at least a dozen other states. John Helmberger, chairman of the effort to block same-sex marriage, continues his leadership role with the Minnesota Family Council.

In Washington state, where same-sex marriage has been legal for about eight months, some of the energy and brain power behind the effort to legalize gay marriage has started to turn up in new and surprising areas.

Zach Silk, campaign manager for the lead group that pushed for legalization of same-sex marriage, has pivoted his organizational and fundraising skills to the gun issue.

As in Minnesota, efforts to pass stricter criminal background checks for gun purchases failed in the last legislative session. The legislation?s failure came despite polls that show widespread public support for more background checks.

Silk is now campaign manager for the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, which is trying to put a question on the ballot that would ask voters whether the state should require criminal background checks for almost all firearm sales and transfers.

The group has already raised more than $1 million.

Source: http://www.startribune.com/local/215385131.html

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