Iowa Republicans Press For Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 15, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET

(Des Moines, Iowa) Republicans are demanding that Democrats who control the legislature take up a proposed amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Wednesday hundreds of conservative Christians bussed in from across the state added leverage to the call.

The protestors held a prayer session at the legislature in support of traditional marriage.

Iowa already has a law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples but supporters of the amendment say it could be overturned by "renegade" judges.

At least 48 representatives have signed onto a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex marriage.

"If we can spend an hour debating propane tank regulation, I think we have one hour that we can debate out of a hundred days to debate the value of traditional marriage," said House Minority Leader Christopher Rants (R) marking the opening session of the legislature.

The issue already is before the state Supreme Court but Democrats say it is premature to take up the proposed amendment.

"We don't see the courts in here trying to subvert the Legislature," said House Speaker Pat Murphy (D). "We shouldn't be trying to subvert the judicial process, either."

To amend the Iowa Constitution simple majorities are needed in both the House and Senate in two consecutive general assemblies and then it must be approved by a simple majority of voters in the following general election.

If a resolution were approved this year and in the 2009 or 2010 session, it could be placed before voters in November 2010.

Last August Polk County Judge Robert Hanson struck down Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act ruling that it violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued.

Later that day he stayed his ruling to allow for an appeal to the Supreme Court, but not before several dozen couples applied for marriage licenses.

The marriage license approval process normally takes three business days, but one couple took advantage of a loophole that allows couples to skip the waiting period if they pay a $5 fee and get a judge to sign a waiver.

Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan became the only same-sex couple to be married in Iowa. (story)