The linked blog post is a good explanation of what’s to come in Iowa. Near the bottom, is an update- the Senate leadership Mike Gronstal will not co-sponsor a leadership bill which means that opponents can not push this issue forward until next session in 2010. Interestingly, there is a second way to get a constitutional amendment which is a state-wide constitutional convention which may be held every 10 years and so it could be called in 2010.

Iowa is split with  26% of the voters approving of gay marriage and an additional 28% approving of domestic partnerships for a total of 54% in favor of some form of state recognition for GLBTQ families. Some of the work in the coming months has to be on that 28%, as well as in educating at least a part of the other 46% of the state.

Demoinesdem, spells out some of the risks to the republican party if they push full steam ahead for a constitutional amendment. It will be interesting to see how this continues to play out. Everything about this situation is so different from California. It is also interesting to watch how the movement in Vermont and the north east is influenced by Iowa.

My favorite quote is from the update near the bottom. It is from Gronstal’s statement:

“I think I learned something from my daughter that day, when she said that.  And I’ve talked with other people about it and that’s what I see, Senator McKinley.   I see a bunch of people that merely want to profess their love for each other, and want state law to recognize that.

Is that so wrong? I don’t think that’s so wrong.  As a matter of fact, last Friday night, I hugged my wife.  You know I’ve been married for 37 years.  I hugged my wife.  I felt like our love was just a little more meaningful last Friday night because thousands of other Iowa citizens could hug each other and have the state recognize their love for each other.

Bleeding Heartland:: The coming battle to amend the Iowa Constitution .