Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted to change how judges are selected for the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals. Senator Julian Garrett, a Republican from Indianola, said Iowa needs a "different kind of judge" on those courts. "A lot of us have felt that under the current system … [Read more...]
Bill sparks abortion debate in House subcommittee
A bill pulled from consideration in the Iowa House drew strong responses from both sides in the abortion debate. Abortion opponents say the bill would have let Iowans sue on behalf of an aborted fetus -- just like a man in Alabama is doing. Kim Robbie -- the Life Ministries director for Lutheran … [Read more...]
Abortion foes cheer changes for Iowa courts
Abortion opponents rallied at the statehouse Thursday in support of new efforts to ban abortion in Iowa. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds announced this week she had determined there was no way to successfully appeal a district court ruling that nullified a ban on abortions after a fetal … [Read more...]
Governor won’t appeal decision on Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds will not appeal a district court judge's ruling that struck down the six-week abortion ban she signed into law last year. Reynolds said in a written statement she sees "no path" for getting the case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Senator Jake … [Read more...]
Conservatives rail against ‘activist’ judges, hail GOP lawmakers’ plans for courts
Conservatives who oppose Iowa Supreme Court rulings legalizing same-sex marriage and overturning abortion restrictions are urging the Republican-led legislature to strike back. "Iowa has one of the most activist Supreme Courts in the country," Chuck Hurley, legal counsel for The Family Leader, … [Read more...]
Governor backs adding anti-abortion rights language to Iowa Constitution
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds supports an attempt by GOP legislators to change Iowa's constitution after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled last year that the document provides women with a fundamental right to an abortion. "I've made it very clear that I'm prolife. I'm proud to be prolife," … [Read more...]
Group proposes ‘abortion victims monument’ near Iowa capitol
Four Republicans in the Iowa House are sponsoring legislation to erect what they describe as an "abortion victims monument" on the state capitol grounds. "I saw a news article about a similar bill in Tennessee, where they had passed a bill to build such a monument, so I thought that would be a … [Read more...]
District court judge overturns Iowa’s ‘fetal heartbeat’ law
A district court judge has ruled Iowa's so-called "fetal heartbeat" law is unconstitutional. Last May, Governor Kim Reynolds signed the law to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat may be detected, which happens in about the sixth week of a pregnancy. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the … [Read more...]
Republicans rap ‘judicial activism,’ aim to change who nominates judges
Republicans at the statehouse are drawing up plans to change the make-up of the commission that nominates people to the governor for judgeships, in response to what they say is "judicial activism." Iowa's Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 and recently overturned a GOP plan to … [Read more...]
Judge holds hearing in abortion bill lawsuit
The legal battle over Iowa’s heartbeat abortion law continued today with a hearing in Polk County District Court. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are asking a judge to forgo a trial and declare the law unconstitutional. They say it would effectively ban almost all abortions in Iowa … [Read more...]