GOP pushes for Legislature to address gay marriage

1/14/2008

By Chris Dorsey
IowaPolitics.com

DES MOINES -- With the 2008 legislative session less than an hour old, Republican leadership called upon the Democratic majority to push to protect "traditional marriage."

Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson declared the state's gay marriage law unconstitutional in August and the case is now waiting to be heard by the Iowa Supreme Court.

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants and Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck, both of Sioux City, asked the majority party in their chambers to take the initiative and not to let the court dictate state policy.

"During this session you will not see any attempt by the Senate Democrats to stand up and defend the institution of marriage against an extremist attack by a renegade activist judge in Polk County who single handedly overrode the will of the people and this elected body of senators," Wieck said. "Traditional marriage is the bedrock of Iowa’s family unit and our law."

Rants pushed for House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, to resolve the issue with a vote and not wait for the court's decision.

"You can let this stand, and by inaction the majority party will affirm what this one judge has done," Rants said. "Or you can bring up for a vote a bill or resolution that would overturn this ruling. In fact, HJR 8, with 48 bipartisan co-sponsors is sitting in Judiciary Committee ready for action. I know that the quick and casual answer is to say we don’t have time, we’ll let the courts sort it out. But Mr. Speaker, we do have the time. If this chamber can spend an hour debating the merits of registering propane tanks, then surely there is one hour, out of 100 days that we can debate the merits of marriage. That’s all I’m asking for, one hour to debate and vote."

Murphy and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, did not address the issue in their opening statements, but have stated the Legislature must be prudent and await the outcome of the Supreme Court.

"I can't help but notice Christopher [Rants] wants to be a legislator, judge and jury," Murphy said Monday morning. "We need to need let the judicial process take its process. This is before the Supreme Court, there is no reason to overreact. The bottom line is we need to let that process go forward. We don't see the courts trying to subvert the Legislature, and we shouldn't be trying to subvert the judicial process."

Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Turnis will give her Condition of the Judiciary address Wednesday at the Iowa Statehouse, and prior to her statements supports of traditional marriage are expected to be near or at the Capitol to voice their concerns about Judge Hanson's decision.