Iowa high court to hear marriage case

Oral arguments were scheduled to be heard today at the Iowa Supreme Court in a case that could make the state the first in the middle of the country to grant equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. "This is the heartland of America -- a place where family values are revered. It would be an incredibly strong signal for the Iowa Supreme Court to find that same-sex marriages are legal," said Angela Onwuachi-Willig, a University of Iowa law professor who has signed a court brief backing marriage rights. The Des Moines Register (Iowa) (12/7)