The Iowa Independent reports that right-wing religious extremists are attempting to circumvent House rules to bring an anti-gay marriage bill to the floor of the legislature:
"'Right-wing extremists are resorting to underhanded tactics in an attempt to take away the freedom to marry. While legislative leadership has stood firm in support of equality, extremists are attempting to overthrow House rules and push an anti-marriage amendment to the floor,' said Brad Clark, One Iowa’s campaign director.
The group is asking members to call the capitol switchboard and e-mail legislators showing their support for same-sex marriage.
In the closing days of the 2009 legislative session, Republicans in both the House and Senate attempted numerous procedural moves in the hopes of forcing a vote on a constitutional ban on gay marriage, including attaching it to a tax proposal and the state’s Health and Human Services budget. Democrats successfully blocked the efforts.
It is still unclear what, exactly, lawmakers plan to introduce. A message to House Republican leadership by The Iowa Independent. was not returned."
Information on contacting Reperesentatives in Iowa can be found HERE.
In related news, Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Chris Rants has promised "to veto any bill,
including the budget, until lawmakers vote on giving Iowans the
opportunity to amend the constitution to define marriage."
Said House Speaker
Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque: "This is why Republicans should not be in charge. They're caught on an issue that most
people don't care about."
Posted Feb. 4,2010 at 10:52 AM EST by
Interesting how the GOP doesn't want Gov't interference in Peoples Lives..except in the Live of LGBT Americans.
Posted by: Disgusted American | Feb 4, 2010 11:08:11 AM
Main Entry: hy·poc·ri·sy
Pronunciation: \hi-?pä-kr?-se- also hi--\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural hy·poc·ri·sies
Etymology: Middle English ypocrisie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, from hypokrinesthai to answer, act on the stage, from hypo- + krinein to decide more at certain
Date: 13th century
1 : a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion
2 : an act or instance of hypocrisy
Posted by: Alexander | Feb 4, 2010 11:25:49 AM
Why? What exactly happened to people in Iowa after gays were allowed to marry? Do they think that by changing this law they'll avoid the coming of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse just a little longer?
Posted by: Randy | Feb 4, 2010 11:26:29 AM
Wow. That statement by Rants will not win him many votes in Iowa.
Posted by: Chitown Kev | Feb 4, 2010 12:11:17 PM
So basically Rant is willing to hurt schools,local governments and everything else if there is no vote on gay marriage?
That's "compassionate" conservatism for you.
P.S. who is the couple hugging each other? I've seen that photo before and wonder who they are.
Posted by: Zach | Feb 4, 2010 1:21:29 PM
Good luck to Iowans fight H8!!!!
Posted by: SmartVac | Feb 4, 2010 6:29:45 PM
They were the first couple to get married in Iowa a couple of years ago, immediately after the SC ruled that it was permissible and before emergency injunctions could be filed to prevent anyone from taking advantage of it. I believe they were the only couple able to do so.
Posted by: KJ | Feb 4, 2010 7:13:00 PM