Republicans in the Iowa Senate are sponsoring a resolution which calls for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage — but Senate GOP Leader Bill Dix of Shell Rock admits the proposal is likely going nowhere as Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal controls the senate’s agenda and does not intend to bring it up for debate.
“I’ve heard loud and clear from Senator Gronstal that he’s not going to let this come to a vote, so trying one more time doesn’t seem like it’s going to produce anything different,” Dix told reporters today.
In January of 2011 Republican Senator Kent Sorenson of Milo tried to force a vote on the issue.
“But I do not anticipate doing that this year,” Sorenson said this afternoon. “I mean, we had our vote. The make-up of the chamber really hasn’t changed. In fact, I think all the members that voted against it then are still here.”
Republican senators say they introduced the resolution again this year to make it clear to Iowans that Republicans would favor a statewide vote on an amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Republicans are the minority in the senate, holding 24 seats compared to the 26 held by Democrats.
Republicans hold a seven-seat advantage in the Iowa House, but a resolution calling for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, so far, has not been introduced in the House this year.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Iowa since April of 2009.