Democratic Iowa Senate Leader Vows To Block Any Gay Marriage Repeal Attempt

[racaulk]

While they succeeded in ousting three of Iowa's seven supreme court justices, NOM will have a hard time pushing forward in any marriage repeal attempt, thanks to state Senate leader Mike Gronstal.

Despite sweeping GOP gains in Iowa government Tuesday, one Democratic senator will thwart efforts to allow Iowans a vote on gay marriage. Republicans will occupy the governor's office and will control the Iowa House next year, and there's a chance that final results could give Republicans a 25-25 deadlock in the Iowa Senate. But Senate Democrats will maintain at least equal power — which will give Majority Leader Mike Gronstal authority to prevent a vote on a marriage amendment to the state constitution. "There's no mechanism whereby senators, even a majority of senators, can override the majority leader," according to Secretary of the Senate Mike Marshall, a staffer who ensures rules are followed.

Gronstal: "The easy political thing for me to do years ago would have been to say, 'Oh, let's let this thing go. It's just too political and too messy.' What's ugly is giving up what you believe in, that everybody has the same rights. Giving up on that? That's ugly."

Iowa Sen. Mike Gronstal, our hero for today.

Link: http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/11/democratic-iowa-senate-leader-vows-to.html

[MineralMan]

1. Good job! Stand firm!

[emulatorloo]

2. Excellent. The Iowa Dems have blocked it before, they will block it again.

[xchrom]

3. You will have our Thanks, sir. Nt

[joeybee12]

4. I'd like to see him run against GrASSley in the future..nt

[progressoid]

5. That's my guy!

I sent him an email thanking him for standing strong.

This state just took a dive into a cesspool. It's gonna be a few crappy years here.

[CoffeeCat]

7. Depressing isn't it?

I still can't believe that Branstad is going to be our governor
and that those judges were ousted.

It makes me so sad.

I have been so proud of Iowa--since we bucked the system and voted
for Obama during the caucuses. Truly, we looked like intelligent,
progressive, forward-thinking people. Then, our state legalized
gay marriage which gave me even more hope.

Regardless of the political horrors that were happening on the national
stage, at least my own state was moving forward.

Now, it feels like things have changed overnight. I read the KCCI
stories and the comments--and I can barely stand it. This election
has empowered the hateful, ignorant, bigot contingent. They're all
wagging their fingers at us for rejecting God while declaring that Iowans
rejected "a lifestyle choice".

It really is sickening. They're all emboldened now, to come out of the
woodwork and spread their hate. I liked it better when they were
invisible.

Hooray for Gronstal. Best news I've heard all week.

[progressoid]

8. I've been avoiding the newspapers and TV.

I can't bear the hear the comments of the morons that voted for this mess or the media minions that enabled it.

I think I'm just going to up my meds and take a few weeks off. ;)

[Drale]

6. Good For him

perhaps he should launch an investigation into the people who funded the campaign to get rid of anything that didn't agree with them, I'm sure they've done plenty of illegal stuff in the process.

[foxfeet]

9. Bravo!