Feb. 4, 2019
Senate Democratic Leader on proposal
by legislative Republicans to politicize Iowa courts
“There is no reason to change a judicial selection process that is respected throughout the country and is working well. The plan by legislative Republicans to politicize Iowa’s court system is bad news for Iowans.
“As the Judicial Branch’s website notes: ‘Merit selection is designed to emphasize the professional qualifications of applicants for judicial appointment and minimize partisan politics.’ That’s apparently not good enough for Republican politicians.
“They are planning to throw out the current, nonpartisan system for selecting judges for no good reason. In its place, they want a new system that will favor their political appointees and donors. Iowa shouldn’t sell off its courts to the highest bidders!
“Some Republican politicians still haven’t gotten over the unanimous decision of the Iowa Supreme Court in 2009 to legalize same-sex marriage. They were on the wrong side of history in 2009 and they are on the wrong side of history today.”
– end –