An Iowa lawmaker is opposed to altering
state park policies to include gay families, RadioIowa reported.
Senator Merlin Bartz calls allowing gay
couples to be counted as a family at state parks is going too far.
The Iowa Department of Natural
Resources is planning to recognize gay families in their policy that
allows families to put up more than one tent on a camp site.
“They're citing the Supreme Court
case and changing, you know, 'husband and wife' language to
'spouse,'” Bartz said referring to last year's unanimous ruling by
the court legalizing gay marriage.
Kevin Baskins of the DNR told local ABC
affiliate KAAL that its move was simply to comply with state policy
that prevents discrimination.
“The language that we are changing
brings us up to speed with what the state definition is,” he said.
Bartz, a Republican who is opposed to
gay marriage, has directed DNR officials to explain their proposal at
a Monday meeting of the Legislature's Administrative Rules Review
Committee, of which he is a member.
Bartz is a leading voice of opposition
to gay marriage in the Senate. Last
year, he called for county recorders to reject gay couples seeking a
marriage license. Ultimately, no gay or lesbian couple was
denied a license.