Opposing sides spar over marriage issue

JOHNSTON – Outspoken advocates on both sides of the same-sex marriage issue sparred Friday over who would prevail if Iowa voters were allowed to decide the outcome.

Speaking on Iowa Public Television's “Iowa Press” show, ex-GOP legislator Danny Carroll of Grinnell, who now chairs the Iowa Family Policy Center, said forces working to block an effort to bring a constitutional amendment on the marriage issue before voters are doing so because they're “pretty sure they'll lose.”

After the IPT taping, however, Brad Clark, campaign manager for One Iowa, the state's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, challenged Carroll's contention.

“I don't know that that's the case,” Clark said in an interview. “What we've seen in Iowa, according to some polls, is that Iowans are evenly split on the issue of writing discrimination into the Constitution.

“I think perhaps that the other side is a bit fearful that, as we get our message out there about Iowa's commitment to community and fairness, that they're scared that they might lose,” he added. “Throughout our history, our country has a strong commitment of not putting rights and protections up for popular votes, allowing the majority to decide on civil rights of the minority. We think that that's wrong.”

Carroll – who disputed the issue is about civil rights -- said the best way to resolve the contentious battle that started last April 3 when the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously struck down a 1998 marriage law would be for the Legislature to let voters decide whether they want Iowa's constitution amended to define marriage as only between one man and one woman.

Clark and Carroll indicated that activists on both sides would be working the issue hard during the 2010 election campaign. However, they said neither side has any interest in pushing for a constitutional convention or working for or against retaining three Supreme Court justices who will be up for retention votes in November.

Carroll noted that his group's political action committee recently endorsed Sioux City Republican Bob Vander Plaats for governor in 2010 and likely would “sit it out” if the general election gubernatorial race is between first-term Democratic Gov. Chet Culver and former four-term Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

“If we can't advocate for one or the other, then what choice is there?” Carroll said. “We're no longer interested in this business of the lesser of two evils. That doesn't get us anywhere.”

Clark said his organization will work on behalf of “fair-minded candidates” this year and Culver fit in that category.

Earlier this week, traditional marriage proponents in the Iowa Senate fell three signatures short of the required 26 needed to place the proposed marriage amendment on the debate calendar. But, unlike last year, five majority Democrats joined 18 Republicans in signing the discharge petition.

“I was a little bit surprised,” Carroll said after the IPT taping, “but once I saw who they were and that they were all up for re-election this fall – I give them the benefit of the doubt, they did the right thing. Whether they did it for the right reason or not, no one will ever know.”

Backers of one-man, one-woman marriage did not pick this fight, but rather had it foisted upon them by an activist court, Carroll said. However, he added, now the decision of seven unelected justices is being given the force of law, those elected officials unwilling to allow voters to decide the issue should be removed from office.