Iowa House Republicans failed in an attempt to force a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Iowa, with the majority Democrats defeating it.

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, tried to force a vote that would have moved House Joint Resolution 8 out of committee and before the full House for a possible debate.

Rants measure failed on a 46-50 vote and Rants said he was disappointed some Democrats who previously have supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, voted against it.

"If those [Democrats] had voted with us, it would have passed, but I guess they will have to explain to their constituents why they flip-flopped on this issue," Rants said to Quad-City Times.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said Democrats want the issue to be settled in the courts before the Iowa Legislature takes any action.

"It was primarily done to generate press, which I think it certainly served that purpose," McCarthy said after the vote.

Gay marriage was only legal in Iowa for less than 24-hours, but one gay couple - Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan - managed to tie the knot before the decision to marry same sex couples was halted.

Gay marriages were legal from about 2:30pm on Thursday, August 30th until about 12:30pm on Friday August 31st, 2007. In that time 27 same-sex couples had filed applications, but only Fritz and McQuillan had made it official by getting married and returning the signed license to the courthouse in time.

Last update: 03-05-2008 11:38