Culver, speaking on January 18, said he did not want to take any action before the courts make their rulings.
"We'll do whatever it takes to protect marriage between a man and a woman," he said. "I think we have to let the judicial branch work through these cases and as a former government teacher and as governor I have a lot of respect for the judicial process. We shouldn't tamper with it. Let them do their work and then we can respond and react if we need to."
Culver warned supporters of traditional marriage to not overreact to another court ruling that said a lesbian has the right to seek custody and visitation rights for a child she adopted with her partner after their separation. Though the ruling may be an indication that the Iowa Supreme Court will uphold the ruling on gay "marriage," Culver warned against jumping to conclusions. He said that all sorts of options are "on the table," but lawmakers need to wait for the court's ruling.
"We'll just have to wait and see," Culver said. He also said that the legislature has the ability to push through a constitutional amendment should the courts uphold the August 2007 decision. If the court delays its ruling, Culver could call a special legislative session to deal with the amendment.