Warren Limmer

Warren E. Limmer (born January 24, 1955) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents the 34th District, which includes portions of Hennepin County in the northwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area. Sen. Limmer previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and in 1998 he sought the Republican endorsement for Minnesota Secretary of State, but lost to Mary Kiffmeyer. He was the author of the 2012 Minnesota constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Early life, education, and career

Limmer attended North Hennepin Community College, where he received his A.A. degree, and St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, where he received his B.A. degree in criminal justice studies. He worked as a corrections officer prior to serving in the Minnesota Legislature. Limmer is also a former member of the Hennepin County Corrections Advisory Commission, and of the Crystal Human Rights Commission. He currently works as a real estate agent.

Minnesota Legislature

Prior to being elected to the Minnesota Senate, Limmer was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, being first elected in 1988 in the old House District 48A, and re-elected in 1990, 1992 and 1994. After the 1992 redistricting, the area was known as House District 33B.^[1]

Limmer was first elected to the Senate in a February 1995 special election held after Senator Patrick McGowan resigned upon being elected Hennepin County Sheriff. He was successfully re-elected since, running unopposed in 2010.^[2] He served as an assistant minority leader from 2005 to 2006.^[1] His special legislative concerns include criminal justice, public education, safe school legislation, economic development, and tax reform.^[1]

On April 27, 2011, Sen. Limmer introduced a bill which would propose a constitutional amendment to Minnesota voters to ban gay marriage in the Minnesota Constitution.^[3] The bill passed and Minnesota voters ultimately rejected the amendment question at the November 6, 2012 general election by six percentage points.^[4][5]

Minnesota voters in 2012 rejected both constitutional amendments proposed by Sen. Limmer and his Republican colleagues. Voting 54% to 46%, voters rejected Republicans' attempt to create a constitutionally-mandated scheme requiring government-issued voter identification. Voters sided with amendment opponents who argued that Voter ID would disproportionately suppress votes of immigrants, the elderly, disabled people and communities of color.^[6] Finally, voters put Democrats in control of both the House and Senate, throwing Republicans out after only a single biennium in power—a move considered to be electoral backlash in response to Republican overreach.^[7]

In the following Legislative session over Limmer's energetic objection, DFL Senator Scott Dibble and DFL Rep. Karen Clark were chief authors of bills to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.^[8] Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives ultimately voted 75-59 to allow same-sex marriage. A few days later, an exchange of views occurred on the Senate floor.^[9] The body voted 37-30 in favor of marriage equality in Minnesota.^[10] On May 14, 2013, in front of a history-making crowd of 7,000 people on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Governor Dayton signed Senator Dibble and Rep. Clark's marriage equality bill into law, making Minnesota the nation's 12th state to legalize gay marriage.^[11]

Personal life

Limmer and his wife Lori live in the suburban city of Maple Grove, and have three children.^[12]

References

External links

• Warren Limmer at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
• Senator Warren Limmer official Minnesota Senate website
• Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Warren Limmer
• Project Vote Smart - Senator Warren Limmer Profile