Legislative Proposals
A state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage has been proposed several times in the state legislature in the wake of the judicial rulings. To amend the constitution, two consecutive sessions of the legislature will need to approve the amendment, after which it would be placed on the ballot for final approval by the Iowa electorate.
An amendment was first proposed in 2008 but did not pass. The Legislature did not vote on a constitutional amendment in 2009, and Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal said he would not allow one to be brought to the floor in 2010. In a joint press release with House Speaker Pat Murphy on April 3, 2009, Gronstal welcomed the court's decision, saying "When all is said and done, we believe the only lasting question about today’s events will be why it took us so long. It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency. Iowa has always been a leader in the area of civil rights."
Democratic leaders of Iowa Senate and Iowa House of Representatives during the 2009-2010 legislative session opposed a vote on an amendment.
In the next session, debate on proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa attracted national news coverage after Zach Wahls, a college student and son of a lesbian couple, addressed the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in a public hearing on January 31, 2011. A video of his testimony posted on YouTube went viral. On February 1, 2011, with Republicans in a majority in the Iowa House, the House passed House Joint Resolution 6 by a vote of 62-37. Democratic leaders promised to block debate in the Senate.
Same-sex marriage could also be banned by constitutional convention, which Iowa voters can initiate once a decade. On November 2, 2010, voters defeated a proposed constitutional convention by a 2-1 margin.
Read more about this topic: Same-sex Marriage In Iowa
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