Iowa Senate Narrowly Defeats Gay Marriage Ban (BARF)

http://www.theiowachannel.com/family/2945176/detail.html ^

[iowaboy]

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Senate narrowly defeated a resolution Tuesday night that would have called for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages.

[iowaboy]

Senate Narrowly Defeats Gay Marriage Ban Lawmakers Vote 25-24 To Defeat Same-Sex Marriage Resolution

POSTED: 5:28 am CST March 24, 2004 UPDATED: 5:45 am CST March 24, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Senate narrowly defeated a resolution Tuesday night that would have called for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages.

Lawmakers debated whether the resolution, which defines marriage as a union between only one man and one woman, was needed.

Sen. Matt McCoy, a Des Moines Democrat, argued that there's already an Iowa law that recognizes only marriage between a man and a woman.

He said a voter referendum on the amendment would have cost the state about $1.4 million "to outlaw something that's already illegal in Iowa."

McCoy was among the Democratic lawmakers who opposed the resolution and clasped hands and patted each others' backs after it was defeated 24 in favor to 25 against.

Sen. Ken Veenstra, an Orange City Republican, sponsored the resolution. He said lawmakers should bolster the state constitution, especially after recent court rulings around the nation that recognize same-sex unions.

[madprof98]

Sen. Matt McCoy, a Des Moines Democrat, argued that there's already an Iowa law that recognizes only marriage between a man and a woman.

This is disingenuous, but it's the same argument Dems in the Georgia state legislature are using: Why mess with the state constitution when we already have laws on the books? Of course, once some judge finds a right to same-sex marriage hidden between the lines in that constitution, and invalidates all the state laws to the contrary, these legislators will start defending this new "constitutional right" with the same zeal they already use in support of abortion.

[newgeezer]

Since the Rs have a majority in the Iowa Senate, the obvious question is, which RINO(s) voted against it?

[newgeezer]

I received this in today's email from Christian Coalition of Iowa. (No surprise that Mary Lundby and Maggie Tinsman are two of the four RINOs!):

In a disappointing vote the Iowa State Senate defeated a proposed state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Here is a breakdown of how our Senators voted on SJR (Senate Joint Resolution) 2002 (The companion bill to HJR (House Joint Resolution) 2003).

Yes (24) Republicans (24): Angelo, Behn, Boettger, Brunkhorst, Drake, Gaskill, Hosch, Houser, Iverson, Johnson, Kettering, Lamberti, McKibben, McKinley, Miller, Putney, Rehberg, Schuerer, Seymour, Sievers, Veenstra, Ward, Wieck, Zieman.

We encourage you to contact those Senators who voted in favor of this amendment and commend them for taking a stand. Contact information for all State Senators can be found at: http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/legislators.do

No (25) Republicans (4): Lundby, Redfern, Shull, Tinsman. Democrats (21): Beall, Black, Bolkcom, Connolly, Courtney, Dearden, Dotzler, Dvorsky, Fraise, Gronstal, Hatch, Holveck, Horn, Kibbie, Kreiman, McCoy, Quirmbach, Ragan, Seng, Stewart, Warnstadt.

We encourage you to contact these Senators and express your concern over their position. It is important that your views be expressed with diplomacy. This is an issue where people have strong feelings, and we must respect the feelings of others. At the same time it is important that we continue to bring the truth of this issue before our governing officials and the American public.

Conservative Senator Chuck Larson (R-Cedar Rapids) is on active duty in Iraq.