"If necessary, we will explore legal actions to enforce and implement the court's ruling [of same-sex marriage], working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and county attorneys," he warned on his website.
-- From "National group pushes county recorders to defy same-sex marriage ruling" by Jason Hancock, The Iowa Independent 4/23/09
An Arizona-based Christian nonprofit is offering free legal defense to any of Iowa’s 99 county recorders who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) . . . sent an e-mail to each of Iowa’s county recorders asking them to tell their staff that they “shall not be required to issue or process a marriage license, or to perform, assist or participate in such procedures, against that individual’s religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
The e-mail, which was sent out in conjunction with the Iowa Family Policy Center, says Iowa law protects citizens from being forced to “violate his or her conscience.”
The ADF then offers to “provide free legal review and defense” for any county recorder that adopts a “conscious clause” and is challenged “on the basis of its content.”
The e-mail comes on the heals of a petition drive pushed by Republican state Sen. Merlin Bartz asking opponents of same-sex marriage to collect signatures and deliver them to county recorders demanding that they ignore court’s decision and deny marriage licenses to couples of the same gender. Bartz has since had an ethics complaint filed against him saying he is trying to pressure local elected officials to break the law.
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From "State threatens locals: Marry 'gays' – or else" by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily 4/24/09
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is warning the county recorders' offices in his state that workers must process "marriage" licenses for same-sex duos or face possible charges in a court of law.
The statements from Miller relate to the state Supreme Court's decision that Iowa must provide same-sex couples access to the state's marriage processes.
Miller praised the decision as "clear and well-reasoned" and explained it is expected to take effect April 27, since court offices are closed tomorrow.
"The Supreme Court's decision … does change state law: the decision expressly strikes from Iowa Code chapter 595 the language which limits civil marriage to a man and a woman," he ordered.
[ADF] said the Iowa marriage law was settled and supported by Iowans, but then the court justices "stepped outside of [their] proper role of interpreting the law and has instead overruled the will of the people and created new law."
Miller, on his web page, affirmed that the justices were creating new law.
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From "Iowa judge to stop performing marriages" Posted by Daniel Nasaw on The Guardian 4/23/09
At least one Iowa judge has stopped performing marriages, in part a reaction to the state supreme court ruling this month giving same-sex couples the right to wed.
According to a report in the Des Moines Register, other judges may follow. Iowa law allows judges and other public officials to opt out of performing all marriages but forbids them from refraining only from same-sex nuptials.
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