Iowa House Speaker rejects attempt to bring constitutional amendment for vote

[kpete]

Source: My DD

Iowa House Speaker rejects attempt to bring constitutional amendment for vote

by desmoinesdem, Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 11:24:40 AM EST

A few minutes ago Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy ruled out of order an attempt by Republicans to bring a resolution to the floor on amending Iowa's constitution to ban gay marriage. The resolution did not pass any House committee before last month's "funnel" deadline, so could only have reached the floor if leadership made an exception for it.

I will update this post as more news becomes available. You can read a couple of different play-by-play accounts on the Twitter feeds of journalist Charlotte Eby and Republican Representative Renee Schulte. It sounds as if leadership conferred for a while before Murphy ruled the resolution out of order. Iowa Senate Majority leader Mike Gronstal, who refused to let a similar bill come to the Senate floor on Monday, was in the House chamber this morning speaking with House leaders.

Earlier today marriage equality opponents and supporters rallied at the Iowa capitol. I wasn't there, but Charlotte Eby provided the highlights. Former State Representative Danny Carroll told the crowd that politicians who don't listen to the word of God should be replaced. Someone doesn't seem to understand the constitution too well. Unfortunately for Carroll and fortunately for us, the voters of Iowa House district 75 sent him packing in 2006, and voted him down by a larger margin in his rematch against Eric Palmer last year.

One Iowa is the leading advocacy group for marriage equality in Iowa. If you support their cause, please donate to support their organizing and education efforts.

Read more: http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/4/9/112440/2892

[tomm2thumbs]

1. thanks for posting

good luck- sounds promising thus far

[Redwraithvienna]

2. So the earliest date for a popular vote on a gay marriage ban

is 2012 ?

[iowa_democrat]

3. Constitutional convention

They will try to get Iowans to vote to have a Constitutional Convention next year. This is required to be on the ballot in Iowa every 10 years and next year is it. If the CC is voted for, then Iowa's Constitution could be ammended there. Now, the big question is if Iowa will vote for the Convention. I have no idea how close it has come in the past, but I doubt it ever gets serious consideration. This will require effort and education to make sure it doesn't happen.

[progressoid]

4. It's never even been close in past votes.

"Since 1970, Iowa voters have been asked once a decade whether they are in favor of a convention where amendments to the state's constitution would be drafted. The proposal has overwhelmingly failed in the past four decades, but Mauro suggests in 2010 gay marriage opponents may unite with others who want to amend the state's constitution, like those who want cities and counties to have authority over large-scale hog lots.

"It opens up a world of possibilities and a lot of maneuvering to see how this process could be put together," Mauro says. "...It's going to provide for very interesting debate, something we've never seen."


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=152x25476#25484

I remember reading that the last constituional convention was in 1844.

[DemWynner]

5. I think that Iowa needs to run with this

This could be a tourism item. There could be little chapels, wedding/honeymoon vacations, etc... I know that may people do not think of Iowa as a vacation area, but this may help bring in some revenue. DownTown Des Moines has some nice things going in the summer. I would not come here in the winter though.