Iowa: Putting New York To Shame

The Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling is obviously great news. I happen to be conferencing here in the midwest, but will have more thoughts later. Most immediately relevant is that fact that Iowa’s legislative leadership seems to have less than no interest in a constitutional amendment overturning the decision, and there is no initiative — as opposed to referendum — process (more points for this great state):

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, and House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, praised the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision today legalizing same-sex marriage, saying the only lasting question is “why it took us so long.”

“It is a tough question to answer because treating everyone fairly is really a matter of Iowa common sense and Iowa common decency,” the Democrats said in a joint statement, alluding to Gov. Chet Culver’s 2006 campaign slogan, “Iowa Common Values, Iowa Common Sense.”

With same-sex marriage opponents demanding the legislature act to nullify the Court’s decision, Gronstal and Murphy’s unconditional praise of the ruling seems to indicate there will be no rush by Democratic leadership to make the decision an issue before the General Assembly.

Good for them.

…In comments, Jay C notes that the Iowa constitutional amendment process is similar to MA’s–two separate legislative sessions have to pass an initiative before an amendment can be put on the ballot. (One difference is that Iowa requires a majority.) So Ben Wittes is about to rediscover that only referenda, and not legislatures, can be democratically legitimate. And as Mark F. says, “My immediate worry is that the Iowa Supreme Court just gave the election to McCain.”

…more thoughts here.