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March 16, 2006
Iowa senate deadlocks on proposed marriage ban
An
Iowa senate committee deadlocked Tuesday on a proposed
state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex
marriages, prompting accusations from both parties.
Republicans accused Democrats of blocking debate on
the issue, while Democrats accused the GOP of seeking
political gain by focusing on the marriage issue.
"It saddens me that Republicans have resorted to
playing partisan politics with hot-button social
issues rather than work to find common-ground
solutions to move this state forward," said senate
Democratic leader Michael Gronstal, of Council Bluffs.
Republican senator David Miller countered by saying
Democrats are "stonewalling" debate on same-sex marriages.
With the senate tied at 25–25, both
parties must agree before any issue can proceed. The
senate state government committee planned more debate on
the marriage question Wednesday.
The state already has a law defining marriage as
the union of a man and a woman, but a group of gay
couples has filed a lawsuit challenging that law.
Conservatives argue that the lawsuit demonstrates the
need for a state constitutional amendment banning
same-sex marriage to prevent judges from overturning
state law.
To get a potential amendment on the ballot, it
must be approved by two consecutive general assemblies
and then go on the ballot for the next statewide
election. If lawmakers don't approve a measure this session,
the earliest possible election would be in 2010. (AP)
© 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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