In September, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told an audience in Fort Dodge, Iowa that same-sex marriage is "a temporary aberration that will dissipate". But since the the Iowa Supreme Court ruling made it legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in 2009, that "temporary aberration" has generated some much needed revenue for a beleaguered state budget and some welcome business for local merchants, according to a report from The Williams Institute released Wednesday.
The report, "Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Iowa: Sales Tax," concludes, "the total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by same-sex couples and their guests was about $12 to $13 million in the first year alone. We estimate that this economic boost generated about $850,000 to $930,000 in tax revenue for the state and various localities."
According to the December 7 press release from the Williams Institute, the figures in the report are based on the best available data from several sources and were drawn upon figures indicating average wedding expenditures in Iowa and tourism reports from 2009 and 2010, along with data regarding marriage expenses by same-sex couples in other states. The report also cites data from the State of Iowa on the number of couples who have married in the year following the Iowa Supreme Court decision in Varnum v. Brien.
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Complete article at Huffington Post : http://huff.to/uVCYs1
