DES MOINES — County recorders usually aren’t the flashpoint for political controversy. But this week they are on the front lines of the culture war as same-sex marriage opponents pressure them to ignore a court edict allowing couples of the same gender to apply for marriage licenses.

Court officials have said the Iowa Supreme Court is likely to issue procedendo Monday allowing its ruling legalizing same-sex marriages to go into effect.

County recorders are preparing to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses as Iowa becomes the latest state allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

“It’s a sad day; it’s a bad day. It’s another day in this fight. It’s not the beginning, and it’s not the end,” said Chuck Hurley, president of the Iowa Family Policy Center, which has helped lead the opposition to gay marriage in Iowa.

Gay-marriage opponents are urging county recorders to refuse to give licenses to gay and lesbian couples and have started a petition drive.

Hurley’s group is asking opponents of same-sex marriage to sign petitions urging county recorders to refuse to give licenses to gay and lesbian couples and to deliver the petitions to their county office.

Sen. Merlin Bartz, a Republican from Grafton, also has taken up the cause and is urging people to sign the petitions.

Bartz pushed unsuccessfully to allow county recorders to refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples if it is against their beliefs.

Liz Kenison, the recorder in Worth County where Bartz lives, said she disagrees with Bartz that recorders have a right to refuse to issue the licenses to same-sex couples.

“I have no problem with issuing the license to them, and they will be treated with the same respect as any other customer that comes through my office,” Kenison said.

Her office expects out-of-state couples will apply for licenses in Worth County, the first county south of the Minnesota border on Interstate 35.

Kenison also thinks the petitions will end up at her office, but she’s not changing her mind.

“We are getting a lot of pressure, and we’re a tough group. We can handle the pressure,” Kenison said.

Sioux County Recorder Anita Van Bruggen expects it to be business as usual in her office today.

“My personal belief is that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, but I did take an oath of office as county recorder, which states that I support the Constitution of the state of Iowa, so I will be treating all applications for marriage licenses the same — it’s simple as that,” Van Bruggen said.

The office has had inquiries about marriage licenses, but she said she didn’t know whether they were from same-sex couples because they don’t ask.

Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter, a lesbian, said she won’t be swayed by any petitions that come to her office and said they’ll follow the Supreme Court’s ruling. She’s also prepared in the event protesters show up at the office or bring petitions.

“I don’t believe there will be any disturbance here of any kind,” Painter said. “I do not anticipate that.”

Painter thinks the 52 couples who attempted in 2004 to register marriages will be at the office to get marriage licenses today.   

Some recorders’ offices are embracing the change.

Black Hawk County Recorder Judy McCarthy has let some same-sex couples fill out the applications for marriage licenses ahead of time, although they won’t process them until today. She has told the staff to put any personal feelings aside to do their jobs.

“I have no idea how they all feel, but I expect them to be professional at all times, and so far they have all exhibited that behavior,” she said.

To prepare for the ruling, some workers in the Scott County Recorder’s Office went through diversity training at the workers’ request. The training was provided by Quad-Citians Affirming Diversity.

Employees were concerned about what same-sex couples wanted to be called and didn’t want to offend anyone, Recorder Rita Vargas said.

With Scott County bordering Illinois, Vargas thinks people will be coming from out of state to marry there. She’s received a call saying a contingent of couples from Minnesota would be coming and heard that people from the Chicago area will be coming as well.

Vargas said they have gotten about two dozen calls a day, mostly from out of state, inquiring about same-sex marriage licenses.

“I don’t have any reservations,” Vargas said. “I took an oath to uphold the laws of Iowa, and I’ll do as I’m instructed to do.”

Brad Clark, campaign director for the gay rights group One Iowa, said today is the day that committed gay and lesbian couples have waited for for decades.

“I think it’s going to be a very joyous occasion,” Clark said.

Clark called the petition drive “completely out of touch with mainstream Iowa.”

“I fully expect that county recorders will follow the laws,” Clark said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is offering to represent couples denied marriage licenses by county recorders. Likewise, the Alliance Defense Fund and the Iowa Family Policy Center are offering free legal defense to county recorder offices adopting a policy that protects employees who refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses.