The Iowa General Assembly should act quickly to not only pass a Constitutional amendment nullifying the Supreme Court’s ruling, but should also pass a marriage license residency requirement so that Iowa “does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering,” Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, said today in a statement.

Iowa marriage law currently has no residency requirement, which opponents fear will mean same-sex couples from around the country will come to Iowa to be legally married in order to return home and challenge their state’s marriage laws.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling overturning a ban on same-sex marriage is “unconstitutional” and “another example of activist judges molding the Constitution to achieve their personal political ends,” King said.

Below is the full text of King’s statement:

“This is an unconstitutional ruling and another example of activist judges molding the Constitution to achieve their personal political ends. Iowa law says that marriage is between one man and one woman. If judges believe the Iowa legislature should grant same sex marriage, they should resign from their positions and run for office, not legislate from the bench.

“Now it is the Iowa legislature’s responsibility to pass the Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, clarifying that marriage is between one man and one woman, to give the power that the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself back to the people of Iowa. Along with a constitutional amendment, the legislature must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering.”