Chief Justice says retention vote will be a test of the system

Marsha Ternus

The Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme court says this fall’s retention election for three of the state’s seven justices will be the test of a generation. The state’s high court has faced heavy criticism after striking down the law that banned on same sex marriage.

Some conservative lawmakers have proposed changing the way the court is seated, while others are encouraging Iowans to vote against the three Supreme Court justices who are up for retention this fall. Chief Justice Marshus Ternus is one of those up for a vote and she says it’s now up to Iowans to stand up for a fair and impartial judiciary.

“I am confident that the people of Iowan want to retain the system that we have and make it work the way it was intended to work, and that is on a merit based system, not as a referendum on any particular decision that a judge might make,” Ternus says. She says people need to be reminded that the court was intended to be the non-political branch of government.

Ternus says, “It’s easy to take what we have for granted but I think each generation has to stand up for what they believe in and for the integrity of the system for a fair and impartial judiciary and that will be our test this year, to see if Iowans stand up for the system that we have.”

Justices Michael Streit and David Baker are also up for a retention vote along with Ternus. Judges must win a majority of the votes cast to stay in office. Ternus made her comments on the Iowa Public Radio Program, “The Exchange.”

See the Iowa Court system website  fors more information on the retention vote for judges.