Iowa voters have voted to remove three state Supreme Court justices, siding with conservatives angered by a ruling that allowed gay marriage. The vote Tuesday was the first time Iowa voters have removed a Supreme Court justice since the current system began in 1962.
UPDATE 6/20/15 - Gay 'Marriage' Effect: Homosexuals Force Closure of Iowa Wedding Chapel
-- From "3 Iowa justices removed after gay marriage ruling" by The Associated Press 11/3/10
The three who weren't retained were Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices David Baker and Michael Streit. They were the only justices up for retention this year.
They were on the court of seven justices who unanimously decided last year that an Iowa law restricting marriage to one man and one woman violated the state's constitution.
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From "Judicial retention vote sets stage for push to overturn gay marriage" by Jason Hancock, The Iowa Independent 11/3/10
Now that Iowans have voted to oust three state Supreme Court justices, conservatives are beginning to wonder if they have the momentum to push to overturn the court’s 2009 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.
Craig Robinson, a former political director of the Republican Party of Iowa, wrote on his blog Tuesday that the vote may be enough to “motivate complacent legislators to finally get on board with a marriage amendment, and maybe even go around Mike Gronstal to do so.”
Gronstal, the Democratic leader in the state Senate, has repeatedly vowed to never allow a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage to come up for a vote. But with Republicans in control of the Iowa House, and a much smaller Democratic advantage in the state Senate, marriage may become a big issue during the 2011 session. During the 2010 session, advocates for an amendment came just five votes shy of forcing a vote on marriage over Gronstal’s objections.
Despite the ouster of the judges, however, same-sex marriage will continue to be legal in Iowa, and outgoing Democratic Gov. Chet Culver has the authority to appoint the judges’ successors.
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From "Supreme Court justices involved in gay marriage ruling not retained" by Hayley Bruce, The Daily Iowan 11/3/10
[Justices] David Baker, Michael Streit, and Marsha Ternus were all ousted by about 54 percent of the votes.
. . . Iowa’s merit selection and retention system differs from the process in many other states, where judges are elected. . . .
Tuesday’s vote won’t reverse the gay-marriage decision. That could only happen if a new panel of judges heard a similar case and reversed the former court’s ruling, said [University of Iowa] political-science Associate Professor Tim Hagle.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Christians Nationwide Urge Unseating Iowa Justices
Few Homosexuals Getting 'Married' in Iowa
Christians Snooze as Same-sex 'Marriage' Sweeps Nation (looks like they woke up in Iowa!)
