Let Us Vote Iowa

1998: Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is passed in Iowa, defining marriage as being between 1 man and 1 woman.

November 14, 2003: Judge Jeff Neary grants a divorce to a lesbian couple NW Iowa (therefore recognizing the lesbian marriage).

June 17, 2005: Iowa Supreme Court upholds Judge Neary’s ruling regarding lesbian divorce, giving at least some indication of where it might come down on other issues involving same-sex marriage.

2005: Six same-sex couples from around Iowa apply for marriage licenses in Polk County and are refused because DOMA limits marriage in Iowa only to 1 man and 1 woman.

December, 2005: A lawsuit is filed against Polk County by the 6 same-sex couples who were refused marriage licenses earlier in the year.

August 30, 2007: Judge Robert Hanson rules in favor of the 6 same-sex couples; DOMA is thrown out from the perspective that it is unconstitutional to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.

August 31, 2007: Many same-sex couples flood the Polk County Courthouse to apply for marriage licenses; one same-sex couple is married. At about 11 am, Judge Hanson grants a stay to his own ruling, freezing same-sex marriage in Iowa for the time being.

Currently (January, 2008): Judge Hanson’s ruling is being appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which is expected to rule before 2010, and maybe as early as the latter half of 2008.

Iowa: Prime Target for Same-Sex Marriage Activists
For at least three reasons, Iowa was targeted as a prime location for promoting and furthering same-sex marriage:

Iowa’s legal environment looks attractive to same-sex marriage activists. Judge Neary’s 2003 decision to grant a lesbian divorce in Northwest Iowa coupled with the Iowa Supreme Court’s approval of that ruling revealed some vulnerability within our judicial system with relation to same-sex marriage.
Iowa is not a referendum state. In a referendum state, citizens can gather petition signatures and force any given issue onto a statewide ballot, without going through the state legislature. In Iowa, however, to stop same-sex marriage we must pass a Constitutional Amendment, involving a complex three-step process that includes passage through the House and Senate during two consecutive General Assemblies. This makes defending against same-sex marriage more difficult than it would be in a referendum state.
Iowa does not have a residency requirement for marriage, making it a great state to export same-sex marriage from. Same-sex couples from other states will be able to come to Iowa, get married, and go home. Once they’re back in their home state, they’ll be able to file suits against those states for full recognition of their same-sex marriage.

Brief history of same-sex marriage from www.LetUsVoteIowa.com