Iowa Republicans Want to Ban Same Sex Marriage in Their Constitution

 

Eight Republican lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday proposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa.

State of play: House Joint Resolution 8 proposes that Iowa, "recognizes the definition of marriage to be the solemnized union between one human biological male and one human biological female."

Details: Amending the Iowa Constitution requires the proposal to pass the House and Senate and then pass through the Legislature again during the next General Assembly.

If it passes this year, then again in 2025 or 2026, it then goes on ballots for a public vote.

Between the lines: Back in 2014, the majority of Iowans supported same-sex marriage and that number is likely even higher now, making it seem unlikely the amendment will pass.

Flashback: Iowa was the third state in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage after the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously overturned a ban on it in 2009.

The decision in Varnum v. Brien also made Iowa the first Midwest state to allow gay marriage, six years before Obergefell v. Hodges legalized it nationally.

The big picture: The proposal comes as Iowa Republicans propose an unprecedented number of bills targeting our state's LGBTQ+ community.

Linh Ta(Axios)