Stories

Following failed attempts in both the Iowa House and Senate Tuesday morning to force a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, Republican leadership has conceded that the issue won’t likely come up again before the November elections.

An attempt by House Republicans to force a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage failed Tuesday morning.

A procedural move to force a vote on same-sex marriage in the Iowa Senate failed Tuesday morning when Republicans were unable to convince a majority to sign on to their petition.

Iowa House Republicans plan to use a procedural move to force a vote on same-sex marriage Tuesday morning,
House Joint Resolution 6, sponsored by state Reps. Dwayne Alons, R-Hull, and Delores Mertz, D-Ottosen, would begin the process of amending the state’s constitution to declare marriage as only between one man and one woman.

A pair of Republican state legislators has introduced a bill that would remove protections for gay, lesbian and transgender students from an anti-bullying law passed in 2007.
State Reps. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, and Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, sponsored the legislation to remove sexual orientation and gender identity as definitions used for purposes of protecting students in [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — The three candidates vying to be the GOP’s nominee to face U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, in November made it clear that they all believe government would be best served if it would simply get out of the way of its citizens.

More than 60 percent of Iowans surveyed in the latest Des Moines Register Iowa Poll say lawmakers have more important things to worry about than same-sex marriage.
The poll, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent, found Iowans are more interested in a ban on text messaging while driving than on overturning the Iowa Supreme [...]

Taxes aren’t the only thing Iowans for Tax Relief and U.S. Rep. Steve King want to know about on a new automated call. They also want to gauge opinion on abortion and same-sex marriage.
King, a Kiron Republican who represents Iowa’s 5th District, is the voice on the call, which is reportedly being made on behalf [...]

AMES — State government has been expanded by “governor after governor after governor,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said Wednesday, adding “you do the math about how many governors that is.”

A legislative push to overturn the Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage is likely to begin Monday, according to the state’s largest gay-rights organization.
After numerous meetings at the Capitol Thursday, Brad Clark, campaign director for One Iowa, told The Iowa Independent that he expects Republican lawmakers in the Iowa House to attempt to bring [...]