Litigation

Same-Sex Marriage Issue Cooling in IA?

By Peter Hardin

On the eve of Tuesday’s Republican primary in Iowa, it appeared that such issues as jobs and the state’s poor economy have overtaken the same-sex marriage issue for voters.

That was the bottom line of a New York Times article datelined Des Moines.

The state Supreme Court unanimously legalized same-sex marriage last year. Under the state’s merit selection system, three Iowa justices will be up for retention elections this year, and some conservatives are pressing for votes against them (see Gavel Grab).

But a spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center said the drive to unseat the justices had gotten little momentum, and the group wants to focus on certain state legislative contests in the fall.

A poll by the Des Moines Register, meanwhile, of Republican primary voters indicated 77 percent think Iowa citizens deserve an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage.

When asked whether Iowans should vote the justices off the bench as a result of the gay marriage ruling, 50 percent agreed and 45 percent disagreed.

Some Republican candidates for governor have stated they would appoint only justices who oppose gay marriage (see Gavel Grab).

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 08, 2010 (boomark / email).