Iowa Dems Block Marriage Repeal

A move to repeal the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples in Iowa had a setback in the state senate Thursday.

By a party-line vote of 26-24, with Democrats in the majority, the senators decided to not to overrule majority leader Mike Gronstal (pictured, left) and bring the anti-marriage equality measure up for a vote.

The measure is a constitutional amendment that would go before voters after being passed in two consecutive sessions of the legislature. A house committee voted this week to advance the measure to the full house, which plans to hold a hearing on it Monday, but Gronstal has pledged that the senate will not consider it. Iowa has had marriage equality since 2009, thanks to a state supreme court decision.

Senate Republicans criticized Mike Gronstal for thwarting the motion to move forward, according to The Des Moines Register.

"There are members of Senator Gronstal's party who want to see this issue brought to a vote of the people and he is still stifling Iowans' voices," Republican senator Kent Sorenson (pictured, right) said in the article.