Hate Groups To Rally At Iowa Capitol

A coalition of anti-gay hate groups will rally today at Iowa's Capitol Building to demand the right repeal same-sex marriage by a public vote.

Officials with the Family Leader, CatholicVote.org and the National Organization for Marriage announced plans to host a “Let Us Vote” Marriage Rally in the state Capitol’s rotunda Tuesday aimed at keep attention on an issue that has festered at the Statehouse since the Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in April 2009 declaring a state marriage law as unconstitutional. That paved the way for same-sex marriages to take place in Iowa for nearly three years now. Organizers say the purpose of Tuesday’s rally is to demonstrate to state senators that marriage is important to Iowans and that Iowans want to exercise their constitutional right to vote on the definition of marriage via the Iowa marriage amendment, which would indicate the only recognized form of marriage in the state would be between one man and one woman.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has long been the hate groups' major obstacle to forcing a public vote on the issue.

Iowa House Bans All Gay Unions

By a GOP-led vote of 62-37, today the Iowa House voted to strip all legal recognitions for LGBT couples.

If passed through both legislative bodies in two consecutive General Assemblies, the issue could be on the ballot as soon as 2013. “The proposed amendment devalues families and divides Iowans,” said One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison. “The Constitution is meant to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Iowans. It is inappropriate to use the political process to single out and deny a group of Iowans of their constitutional protections.” “This goes beyond politics,” said Iowa City resident Katie Imborek. “This is about our family and the ability for Paula and me to care for one another and our two children. At a time when so many Iowans are struggling just to make ends meet, I don’t understand why legislators would choose to take up this issue.”

The only person standing between the national anti-gay groups and fairness is Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D), who has vowed not to allow the issue to come up for a vote. However Democrats maintain only a slim two vote majority in the state Senate and should a vote somehow be forced, it's unclear what the result might be.

Iowa GOP Narrowly Loses Senate Bid To Vote On Same-Sex Marriage Ban

This morning Iowa GOP state Sen. Kent Sorensen called for a suspension of chamber rules in order to force a vote on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. His motion was narrowly defeated along party lines.

Sorenson asked all 50 senators to call up Senate Joint Resolution 8, a bill that would amend the Iowa Constitution to specify that marriage between one man and one woman is the only legal union valid or recognized in the state. Senate President Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg) said “no,” but agreed to allow a vote on whether to suspend the rules and override his objection. Twenty-six Democrats voted “no” and 24 Republicans voted “yes.” The motion was defeated. Danny Carroll, chairman of the controversial Christian organization The Family Leader, told supporters in an e-mail Wednesday night that Sorenson was planning to “file numerous amendments and use any other tactic at his disposal” in order to force a vote on same-sex marriage. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has vowed to never allow such an amendment to come up for debate.

Gronstal: “It’s clearer than ever that Republicans will stop at nothing to take away the constitutional rights of Iowans. I hope that Republicans will join our efforts and focus their energy on helping Iowans recover from the worst national recession since World War II.”

You Can Thank Iowa Sen. Mike Gronstal For Vowing To Protect Gay Marriage

Yesterday many of you expressed admiration for Iowa state Sen. Mike Gronstal's vow to thwart NOM's attempt to repeal same-sex marriage. You can now turn that gratitude into action because immediately after Gronstal's pledge, an Act Blue donation page sprang up. Activist Joe Mirabella writes us: "He alone can preserve my right to marry the love of my life, Joe Brokken. I was so moved by his statement today, that I have decided to ask my closest friends to help me thank him. Can you chip in $5 or $10 bucks today, to say thank you so that Joe and I can get married next summer? Pretty please?" You can bet that right this minute NOM is focusing their seemingly inexhaustible resources at bringing Gronstal down. Do what you can.

Democratic Iowa Senate Leader Vows To Block Any Gay Marriage Repeal Attempt

While they succeeded in ousting three of Iowa's seven supreme court justices, NOM will have a hard time pushing forward in any marriage repeal attempt, thanks to state Senate leader Mike Gronstal.

Despite sweeping GOP gains in Iowa government Tuesday, one Democratic senator will thwart efforts to allow Iowans a vote on gay marriage. Republicans will occupy the governor's office and will control the Iowa House next year, and there's a chance that final results could give Republicans a 25-25 deadlock in the Iowa Senate. But Senate Democrats will maintain at least equal power — which will give Majority Leader Mike Gronstal authority to prevent a vote on a marriage amendment to the state constitution. "There's no mechanism whereby senators, even a majority of senators, can override the majority leader," according to Secretary of the Senate Mike Marshall, a staffer who ensures rules are followed.

Gronstal: "The easy political thing for me to do years ago would have been to say, 'Oh, let's let this thing go. It's just too political and too messy.' What's ugly is giving up what you believe in, that everybody has the same rights. Giving up on that? That's ugly."

Iowa Sen. Mike Gronstal, our hero for today.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader On Marriage Repeal Attempt: "You've Already Lost"

Watch this suh-weet video in which Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal refuses to co-sponsor an attempt to repeal Iowa's marriage equality bill.