Ethical questions smolder around IFPC's taxpayer assistance

The Iowa Family Policy Center, a division of The Family Leader, did not comply with federal-grant protocol when it relinquished the last year of federal funding it received for a controversial marriage-counseling program, according to documents obtained by The Independent under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)....

Iowa Independent • Sep 29, 2011

Senate Dems vote down push for gay marriage ban

A motion by state Sen. Kent Sorenson (R-Indianola) to suspend the Senate's rules to allow a vote on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was defeated early Thursday morning on a party-line vote. Sorenson asked all 50 senators to call up Senate Joint Resolution 8, a bill that would amend the Iowa Constitution to specify that marriage between one man and one woman is the only legal union vali...

Iowa Independent • Jan 28, 2011

Marriage amendment introduced in Iowa House

Democrats were in control of both legislative chambers from 2006 until January, when Republicans captured a majority in the House and promised to once again push a gay-marriage ban quickly. However, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has vowed to never allow such an amendment to come up for debate. Democrats still have a 26-24 majority in the Senate....

Iowa Independent • Jan 21, 2011

Iowa Legislative Leaders Vow No Action on Gay Marriage

Same-sex couples will not be an issue in next year's legislative session, said the highest-ranking Democrats from both chambers of the Iowa legislature....

Iowa Independent • May 30, 2009

ACLU of Iowa supports gay marriage opponent's right to speak while opposing what he says

Caught in an interesting position between State Sen. Merlin Bartz (R-Grafton) on one side and same-sex marriage advocates on the other, the Iowa ACLU determined today that it would represent any same-sex couples who are denied marriage licenses by a county recorder while also offering to defend the man who is asking county recorders to deny them. Borrowing from Voltaire, Iowa ACLU Executive Direc...

Iowa Independent • Apr 25, 2009

Bill makes Iowa marriage law gender neutral

The point of the legislation would be to properly respond should the Iowa Supreme Court rule that the state's Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. If that is the case, same-sex marriage would be legal in Iowa and the language in laws would have to reflect that....

Iowa Independent • Mar 10, 2009