Iowa legislature not to debate marriage in 2010

Timothy Kincaid

January 6th, 2010

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal has ruled out debating marriage equality in 2010. (Sioux City Journal)

“I think our attitude is, if it doesn’t help balance the budget, if it doesn’t help create jobs, it can wait until another year,” Gronstal said.

This delays any possibility of Iowa residents losing basic civil rights for another four years.

If he holds to it, Gronstal’s decision delays the cumbersome process of amending the constitution, which requires the approval of two consecutive General Assemblies before going to voters. If lawmakers don’t approve this year, the issue would have to be approved by lawmakers convening in 2011 and those convening in the assembly beginning in 2013.

The earliest the issue could reach voters would be the 2014 general election.

johnathan

January 6th, 2010

And, in reading the link posted in this article, I came across a blog which presented an interesting graphic comparing the number of states where one can marry his/her LGBT partner vs. where one can marry his/her first cousin.

View here:
http://my.siouxlandvoice.com/post/tdepp/blog/you_can_marry_your_frist_cousin_but_not_your_gay_partner_huh.html

Burr

January 6th, 2010

The irony in that is that gay marriage creates jobs and probably helps balance the budget with increased tax revenue. So by those standards it should be entirely off the table forever.

gar

January 6th, 2010

It’s nice to see a politician with the proper priorities, i.e., jobs and the economy. Good for Iowa.

Aaron

January 7th, 2010

Excellent.

I wonder how the anti-equality gang will try to convince the citizens of Iowa that gay marriage will destroy society if they’ve already had it five years and it didn’t effect them whatsoever?

Grant

January 7th, 2010

Exactly Aaron.

Good job Gronstal and Iowa. I know personally of two same-sex couples from Omaha who have crossed the Missouri to get married in Council Bluffs. Iowa can really start marketing gay marriage now and help improve their economy. And in 4 years, if the NOM crowd still wants to bring the fight to Iowa, we can show both that Iowa society has come apart at the seams, and the additional revenue to boot!

Grant

January 7th, 2010

HASN’T come apart at the seams.

Dang!

Vast Variety

January 7th, 2010

There is still the possibility of the convening of a state constitutional convention which is voted on here once every 10 years but I don’t think state Republicans want to open that can of worms because the Dems would have complete control of the process and would most likely backfire on them.

That isn’t stopping them from trying to get the legislature to vote on it anyway with the LUV hate campaign they have going on here.

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