WATCH: Discussion over Iowa voting on Marriage Equality

Iowa Family Policy Center BUSTED for using Taxpayers Money for Hate

The Iowa Family Policy Center used federal grant money to fund their anti-gay marriage campaign.

The $2.2 million received by the Iowa Family Policy Center between 2006 and 2010 helped hundreds of Iowans receive education and counseling, according to the documents. But it also paid for part of the salaries of five employees, rent, telephone, Internet and other expenses while the group was fighting legalized gay marriage in Iowa.


A University of Iowa researcher who was a consultant on the grant also told AP the group declined to provide same-sex couples education and counseling with the money.


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials approved the grant budget, and there's no indication the costs run afoul of federal guidelines. Still, critics said the grant was potentially troubling because it was involved in a high-profile effort to respond to the Iowa Supreme Court's 2009 ruling legalizing gay marriage at the time, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is investigating. A public backlash led Iowa voters to oust three justices last year.


The Iowa Family Policy Center and its political and advocacy arms, all housed in the same office as its marriage program, were outspoken on the issue. The center first called for blocking the ruling from taking effect and then called on lawmakers to amend Iowa's constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

This Iowa Family Policy Center is a part of the Family Leader, the group that had the stupid Marriage pledge. I hope this is taken to court. They can't use this money this way.

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In Iowa: A Christian conservative Group wants GOP Presidential Candidates to pledge their opposition to Gay Marriage

Bob Vander Plaats

It's like 2004 all over again. Some crackpot group called, The Family Leader, wants all of the GOP candidate to take some silly oath to stop gay marriage. And this group is lead by the hater, Bob Vander (Puss) Plaats:

The group's CEO, Republican Bob Vander Plaats, will unveil The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family at a press conference on the west steps of the Iowa state capitol building on Thursday at 11AM.

According to Fox News, the pledge includes support for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that bars federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples, opposition to gay marriage laws, picking constitutionalists for federal judgeships and opposition to Sharia law. Candidates are also being asked to pledge fidelity to their spouses.

"Vander Puss" was responsible for ousting the 3 judges who supported gay marriage. It's clear this is a crusade for him. Hopefully, the LGBT community will give him Hell and run him out of town. 

Newt Gingrich gave $200,000 to Recall the 3 Iowa Judges over the Gay Marriage law

Unbelievable foolishness! Newt Gingrich supported the crazies in Iowa to oust the 3 judges over the gay marriage law.

L.A. Times has more:

In recent years, Gingrich has met privately with pastors best known nationally for their campaigns against same-sex marriage, sharing deeply personal details about his marital history as he expresses contrition for his past actions.

Gingrich has also provided financial and strategic support for their causes. Last fall, he played a key behind-the-scenes role in an unprecedented — and successful — campaign to remove three Iowa Supreme Court judges who approved same-sex marriage in the state, helping secure $200,000 in seed money for the effort.

and...

This year, several potential presidential candidates are vying for attention among religious conservatives. But only Gingrich was instrumental in the most heralded event of recent Christian political activism: The effort last fall to remove the Iowa judges.

"It wouldn't have happened without Newt," said David Lane, executive director of Iowa for Freedom, the organization that led the campaign. "Newt provided strategic advice and arranged the initial seed money, about $200,000, which is what got everything started."

The money came from an anonymous donor whose contribution was arranged by Gingrich, Lane said.
Really? I guess so, he's trying to win over the religious cretins to help his presidential campaign. But what's really ugly, is how he kept this hidden for many months and never spoke about this in public. Shame on you, Newt. We will remember this is mess.

Desperate Iowa GOP introduces the Religious Conscience Protection Act

 The Haters in Iowa are getting so desperate! Now, they are trying to push a bill that will "protect religious liberty", by discriminating against gay married couples.

It would be legal for an Iowa business owner who cites religious beliefs to refuse to provide jobs, housing, goods or services to people involved in a marriage that violates his or her religious convictions, according to a bill an Iowa House subcommittee will consider on Wednesday.

House Study Bill 50, called the Religious Conscience Protection Act, would allow a person, business or organization such as a charity or fraternal group to deny services without fear of facing a civil claim or lawsuit if they think doing so would validate or recognize same-sex relationships.
The same-sex exclusion is by itself constitutionally troubling, several legal scholars and civil rights activists said.

However, the bill is so broad that it would legalize a wide spectrum of other discriminatory acts, they said. They raised questions about whether services could be denied if, say, a Christian were married to a Jew or if a woman who is 60 married a man who is half her age and the couple could not procreate.

Rep. Richard Anderson, R-Clarinda, a lawyer and sponsor of the bill, said its intent is is to protect religious liberty.

 This is really ridic. I thought faith and all that jazz, didn't need protecting. What a crock of crap! Their hate for gay marriage is truly screwing up their logic.

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Zach Wahls & his Lesbian Mothers talk about the Iowa Gay Marriage Hearing

Earlier this week, Zach stood in front everyone to defend his lesbian moms. Now the family share their experience.

The Drama in Iowa Continues: The House votes to allow people to Ban Gay Marriage

Lord, Iowa! Y'all are bring the drama today! The House today voted 62-37 to pass Joint Resolution 6. This resolution will allow voters to ban same-sex marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships by amending the state constitution.

The bill now moves on to the Iowa Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has vowed to fight attempts to pass the amendment. If passed through both legislative bodies in two consecutive General Assemblies, the issue could be on the ballot as soon as 2013.


“The proposed amendment devalues families and divides Iowans,” said One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison. “The Constitution is meant to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Iowans. It is inappropriate to use the political process to single out and deny a group of Iowans of their constitutional protections.”


“This goes beyond politics,” said Iowa City resident Katie Imborek. “This is about our family and the ability for Paula and me to care for one another and our two children. At a time when so many Iowans are struggling just to make ends meet, I don’t understand why legislators would choose to take up this issue.”

I hope this dies in Senate. More to come.

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WATCH the Battle for Marriage in the Iowa State House

Many folks appeared at the Iowa State House to speak their opinions on Gay Marriage. Here are some clips for that hearing.

Vote on Gay Marriage Crashed in the Iowa Senate

Iowa's haters got a slap in the face...The next step in banning gay marriage was shut down.

A Republican senator called up a proposal that would take the first small step toward banning gay marriage in Iowa, and Democratic leaders agreed to allow a vote on the procedural issue of suspending Senate rules.


Just after 7:30 a.m, the vote failed on party lines, 26-24. All Democrats voted no and all Republicans voted yes to override the Senate President’s decision against breaking the rules.


The battle began just after 7 a.m., when Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola, asked for unanimous consent from the 50 senators to call up Senate Joint Resolution 8. The resolution, sponsored by all 24 Senate Republicans, proposes amending the Iowa Constitution to specify that marriage between one man and one woman is the only legal union valid or recognized in the state.


Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, first said “no” on calling up the resolution for a vote, saying it would violate procedures because the Democratic majority leader had already called up another resolution for a vote.


But Republicans objected, and after more consideration, Kibbie agreed to allow a vote on whether or not to override the Senate president.


“I’ve been around here about as long as anybody and it’s the first time we’ve had to call a vote on the ruling of the chair and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Kibbie, who was first elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1961 and has served 24 years in the Senate.


Minority Republicans saw today’s vote as a weigh-in on the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.


Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said it was simply a vote on rules. Traditional rules in the Senate give the leaders of the majority party final authority over bills or resolutions – which committee they’re assigned to, whether they’re called up for a vote.

Silly haters, I hope they learned something from their foolishness... Probably not.

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Iowa House Committee Votes to Ban Gay Marriage

Goddammit, Iowa! Yesterday the Iowa House Judiciary Committee approved the proposal to amend same-sex marriages.

The vote was 13-8, with Rep. Kurt Swaim, a Bloomfield lawyer, the only Democrat to join Republicans in supporting it. The resolution is now eligible for debate by the full House.


The amendment would not only prohibit same-sex marriages but also would deny state recognition to arrangements such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.

That prospect raises deep constitutional questions and almost certainly ensures that the measure, if approved, would be headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, Drake University constitutional law scholar Mark Kende said Monday.

This mess will struggle in the Senate. Majority Leader Michael Gronstal has said plenty of times that he will has block a vote on the proposal.

Iowa House Repubs start the process for an Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

House Republicans introduced a joint resolution that would start the process to ban same-sex marriage.

Here's the scoop:

Fifty-six of the 60 Republicans in the Iowa House are listed as sponsors of the bill. No Democrats have signed onto the bill as a sponsor. Rep. Dwayne Alons, R-Hull, is leading the resolution and said he offered it to all Republicans to sign as sponsors as well as some Democrats.   Democrats and the four Republicans declined to sign this version, he said.

The four Republicans who declined to sign are Reps Steve Lukan of New Vienna, Peter Cownie of West Des Moines, Scott Raecker of Urbandale and David Tjepkes of Gowrie.

Cownie said he declined to sign as a sponsor of the bill at the request of some constituents in his district.  However, he said that he would support the bill when it is voted on by the full House.

“I don’t treat it any differently than any other bills I don’t sponsor,” Cownie said. “It’s just my top priorities this year is the State Government committee as well as cutting the budget and putting Iowans back to work.”
The resolution says: “Marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state.”

If passed through the Legislature in two consecutive General Assemblies (each of which is two years), the resolution could be on the ballot as soon as 2013.

“This bill intends to forever strip basic protections from loving and committed gay couples,” said Carolyn Jenison, executive director of One Iowa, the state’s largest civil rights group focused on gay and lesbians.  “It goes against Iowa’s cherished tradition of protecting equal rights for all.  Now is the time for Iowans to come together and send a clear message to their legislators that discrimination has no place in Iowa’s Constitution. Our legislators should continue to uphold Iowa’s long-held value of equal rights for all.”

More to come...

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WATCH NOM's Brian Brown brags about Victories

Bastard!