Iowa Governor-elect Terry Branstad has
called Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal a “dictator” for
vowing to block a gay marriage ban.
At a Monday event sponsored by the
Associated Press, Branstad predicted the Republican-controlled House
will approve putting a constitutional amendment that would define
marriage as a heterosexual union – and ban gay marriage – before
voters.
The
Republican also backed the November 2 voter-approved ouster of three
out of the seven Iowa Supreme Court justices who unanimously
legalized gay marriage in 2009.
“The Supreme Court, I think, made a
tragic mistake in their decision on same-sex marriage,” he said.
“The voters of Iowa have overwhelmingly rejected three members of
the Supreme Court because of it and I think we need to restore
support for the judicial system, and one way to do that is to give
people the opportunity to vote on restoring one-man, one-woman
marriage.”
Gronstal, a Democrat, has repeatedly
vowed to block such a measure from moving forward in the Iowa Senate.
“Just because you're a leader in the Legislature, doesn't mean
you're a dictator,” Branstad said, a clear reference to Gronstal.
Gronstal responded that dictators take
away rights.