Some Republicans are pushing the party to drop its opposition to same-sex unions, part of a broader campaign to get the GOP to appeal to younger voters by de-emphasizing social issues.

Minnesotans United for all Families announced Wednesday formation of the MN United PAC, a political action committee that will work to support and re-elect Democratic and Republican legislators who voted in favor of the bill.

Hundreds gathered for the afternoon rally held in the rotunda to push back against the recent introduction of bills in both chambers to legalize same-sex marriage. The rally was held at the same time House and Senate members were holding floor sessions.

The release comes days after 27-year-old Sen. Branden Petersen became the first Republican lawmaker in Minnesota to say he will likely support a bill to legalize gay marriage. In the release, NOM President Brian Brown singled out the senator from Andover.

Voters in 31 states have considered whether to prohibit same-sex marriage either through statute or constitutional amendment. In every single instance, voters backed initiatives to reserve the right to marry strictly to a man and a woman.

The outfit is the latest of more than a handful of groups registered with the state specifically tied to efforts surrounding the same-sex marriage vote.

The vote on Minnesota’s proposed constitutional amendment on gay marriage is more than a year away, but the opposing sides in the battle for public opinion are already gearing up — and all signs point to an expensive slugfest.

In a ruling issued Wednesday, the Campaign Finance board dismissed the complaints brought by nonprofit Common Cause Minnesota, which alleged that the Minnesota Family Council (MFC) and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) teamed up on a $200,000 ad buy last fall to push for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and both failed to properly report their activities.