Carlson, Brede join us in the pool for Dialogues

Fresh version of the promo story for Dialogues on Wednesday -- to repeat, the all-star lineup is former Gov. Carlson, Rochester Mayo Brede, former Rep. Gutknecht and the House bill's author, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer...seriously, get there early if you want a seat. The room only seats about 85 and it's too late to move it now. Expect a lot of coverage in state media that night and next day.

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Two proposed amendments to the Minnesota constitution are on the ballot for voters to decide on Nov. 6.

One is the proposed amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota, and more than $7 million has been raised and spent this year to promote or defeat it.

The other proposal has gotten much less attention, with fewer TV ads and certainly fewer mentions in sermons in church, yet it would have just as far-reaching consequences. It's the proposal to require a photo ID and impose other restrictions on how Minnesotans vote.

The voter ID amendment would not only affect those who don't have IDs. It has the potential to affect the outcome of elections because of those changes -- and that means it would affect everyone.

The amendment will be the agenda item at the next Post-Bulletin Dialogues community meeting, on Wednesday at the Rochester Public Library. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in the library auditorium.

Managing Editor Jay Furst will be joined on the panel by former Gov. Arne Carlson and Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede, who oppose the amendment, and former Rep. Gil Gutknecht and Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, who favor it. Kiffmeyer, the former Minnesota Secretary of State, was a chief author of the bill in the Minnesota House earlier this year.

P-B Dialogues meetings are free, informal conversations that allow citizens to ask questions and get answers about issues in the news. Seating is limited in the library auditorium, so plan to get there early.

If you can't be there and have a question, send it to furst@postbulletin.com, or go to the Furst Draft blog at PostBulletin.com.