Iowa legalizes same-sex marriage

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On Friday, Iowa’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a case brought by gay rights group Lambda Legal and threw out a law that said marriage could only be between a man and a woman. The Hawkeye State now joins Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only places in the nation where same-sex marriages are legal.

While some Iowans plan their weddings, others plan to launch a campaign to amend the state’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

On "The Takeaway," Iowa Public Radio Statehouse Reporter Joyce Russell has the details on the ruling:

"The court gives 21 days, and after that gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to get married. This is a final ruling from the court, and the only avenue that critics have is a constitutional amendment. In Iowa it’s a much more complicated process than in some other states to amend the constitution. A constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage would have to pass two successive general assemblies, and then be put to a vote of the people, and the soonest that that could happen is 2012. And gay and lesbian couples would be getting married in the meantime. Also, the Democratic-controlled legislature is in no hurry to even get that started."

As for the political implications of the ruling, Russell says it could energize the Republican base in Iowa: "The latest poll showed 37 percent of Iowans opposed either gay marriage or civil unions, 26 percent approved gay marriage, and 28 percent approved civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. However, because it now falls to the legislature to get a constitutional amendment ruling, I’m sure that this is going to energize the Republican base significantly, and that there will be a concerted effort in the next election to elect lawmakers who will [lead] a constitutional amendment, go through the legislature, and then come out to a vote by the people.

"What’s interesting to me about this is just in the meantime, there are going to be gay and lesbian couples getting married, and what I think is going to be extremely interesting to watch is how once that gets going here, what affect is that going to have on public opinion. Is that going to energize more the opponents of gay marriage, or is that going to regularize gay marriage in a way that is going to take the edge off the opposition."

"The Takeaway" is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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