A Republican senator failed Thursday to get the senate to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, after an almost two-year period of legality.

Senate Joint Resolution 8, a motion ruling to ban same sex marriage and civil unions in Iowa, was brought to the Senate Floor on Thursday. Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Warren, initiated the proposal, after asking to suspend the rules.

Sorenson attempted to shortcut the legislative process by initiating a vote today without presenting it to a parliamentarian prior to the vote Thursday, and placing it on the Legislature’s calendar.

The chairman ruled the motion out of order. After Sorenson motioned to appeal the motion of the chairman, the majority ruled against his appeal.

A segment from the resolution states, “Marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state.”

Sorenson skipped the basic guidelines within the procedure for voting for a resolution in the House, which was noted by the chairman and denied at Thursday’s meeting, said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames.

Although the procedures are rather extensive to vote for bills, and to pass laws, Quirmbach thinks that such a long, drawn-out process is actually positive thing.

If the process was easier than having the House and Senate pass a bill, allowing a popular vote in a referendum, within a concluding time frame, than laws would change with any new direction of the wind, Quirmbach said.

All unions and marriages became legal in Iowa April 3, 2009, dictated by a unanimous ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court. Iowa became the third state that allowed same sex marriages, and is the only state west of Maryland.

The process to repeal this law could take up to several years Quirmbach said, and nothing may even change at all.

“No, I don’t [think it will pass]”, Quirmbach said.

A public hearing will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday in the House regarding the constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage, said Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames.