Seven Democrats in the Iowa House who supported a marriage amendment have changed their minds, allowing a state court ruling redefining marriage to stand — at least for now.
“If those seven had voted with us, (the amendment) would have passed, but I guess they will have to explain to their constituents why they flip-flopped on this issue,” House Minority Leader Christopher Rants told Iowa’s Quad-City Times.
The Iowa Family Policy Center had tried to gather enough signatures to pull the amendment out of committee, but fell short.
Chuck Hurley, president of the center, said the news is troubling, but there still is hope.
“The silver lining is that a large majority of Iowans support one-man, one-woman marriage," he said. "So our hope is that they will remember in November."
A renegade judge struck down the state's Defense of Marriage Act in August. The case is headed for the Iowa Supreme Court.
