GOP lawmakers in
Iowa want in on same-sex marriage legal battle

Seventeen Republican state lawmakers in Des Moines, Iowa, have asked a judge to let them join a legal battle over whether same-sex marriages should be allowed. The lawmakers filed affidavits in a Polk County lawsuit, contending that they have an interest in the case because changing social policy could affect the state budget. Six Iowa couples filed lawsuits in December after being denied marriage licenses. The lawsuit contends that Iowa marriage laws are unconstitutional because they draw "impermissible distinctions based on sex and sexual orientation." The legislators--11 senators and six representatives--argue in court papers that "the impact on the state's budget, and on a wide variety and great number of laws, would be substantial" if gay couples are allowed to wed. Court papers filed on behalf of the six couples insist that the lawmakers "lack a legally cognizable interest" in the case and merely want to express their opinions in court. Judge Robert Hanson has scheduled a June hearing on whether the legislators will be allowed to intervene. The lawsuit will begin in October, and the couples will ask Hanson to rule on the case without taking testimony, said attorney Dennis Johnson. If no testimony is accepted, the judge will likely rule on the case by the end of the summer. (AP)