The 2009 Supreme Court decision in Varnum v Brien in 2009 when the Justices said that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional was one of the finest rulings to come out of the Iowa Supreme Court. On that day, I was so proud to be an Iowan.
Thank you for your continued good work to keep us informed about what is going in our state government, Laura. Chief Justice Christensen's dissent spoke for many people in Iowa and I am glad your took the time to walk us through it.
Thanks for all of the important detail and information you have given us, Laura. It is helpful to know as we prepare to fight for our human rights, yet again.
Chief Justice Christensen’s dissent is so powerful and well researched that it should reverberate through the nation as this battle continues. Thank you for reviewing the opinions so rapidly.
Men - especially in "civilized" societies, even judges - have difficulty realizing that - in Creator's eyes - women are not second class citizens; hence, their actions make excellent examples of the arrogance of ignorance.
Laura— Are you aware of any organized Pro-Choice movement to vote against Iowa Supreme Court Justice David May whom I believe will be on the retention ballot in the November election?
That's correct--if David May is not retained, the State Judicial Nominating Commission (which now has a majority of Kim Reynolds appointees) will select a new short list of candidates and Kim Reynolds will appoint that person.
No one organized against retaining Justices Oxley and McDermott, who were retained in November 2022 despite voting to overturn the abortion rights precedent earlier in the year.
After reading Belin’s column, Iowans who disagree with the Iowa ruling on abortion should be motivated to take the following steps:
1. Share Belin's Columns: Sharing her work on social media platforms and among personal networks can amplify the message and reinforce positions held by a broader audience.
2. Advocate for Unified Campaign Strategies: Encourage advocacy and political groups that oppose the ruling to unify their efforts into a single, cohesive campaign strategy. and
3. Engage at State and Local Levels:
By following these steps, voters can voice their dissent and encourage and energize others to work towards change in the political landscape regarding abortion rights in Iowa.
The dissent by Justice Mansfield is equally remarkable, as you said. It’s as though none of those who passed this statute gave a second thought to any of the side effects. Zealotry is so dangerous!
A great analysis. Thank you to Chief Justice Christensen. I still agree with the courts 2018 decision written by my late husband.
The 2009 Supreme Court decision in Varnum v Brien in 2009 when the Justices said that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional was one of the finest rulings to come out of the Iowa Supreme Court. On that day, I was so proud to be an Iowan.
That was a very powerful and important decision. It's a tragedy on so many levels.
Thank you for your continued good work to keep us informed about what is going in our state government, Laura. Chief Justice Christensen's dissent spoke for many people in Iowa and I am glad your took the time to walk us through it.
Thank you for reading.
Thanks for all of the important detail and information you have given us, Laura. It is helpful to know as we prepare to fight for our human rights, yet again.
Chief Justice Christensen’s dissent is so powerful and well researched that it should reverberate through the nation as this battle continues. Thank you for reviewing the opinions so rapidly.
Thank you for reading! It's very long but I felt these opinions deserved that kind of attention. I was too upset on Friday to start writing.
So many reasons to be upset on Friday! Did you see the Seymour Hersh piece asking who’s in charge at the White House? Made me lose sleep for sure....
Men - especially in "civilized" societies, even judges - have difficulty realizing that - in Creator's eyes - women are not second class citizens; hence, their actions make excellent examples of the arrogance of ignorance.
Laura— Are you aware of any organized Pro-Choice movement to vote against Iowa Supreme Court Justice David May whom I believe will be on the retention ballot in the November election?
One concern I see with voting against retention is providing the governor with another opportunity to appoint a judge.
That's correct--if David May is not retained, the State Judicial Nominating Commission (which now has a majority of Kim Reynolds appointees) will select a new short list of candidates and Kim Reynolds will appoint that person.
I am not aware of any organized movement.
No one organized against retaining Justices Oxley and McDermott, who were retained in November 2022 despite voting to overturn the abortion rights precedent earlier in the year.
Thank you.
After reading Belin’s column, Iowans who disagree with the Iowa ruling on abortion should be motivated to take the following steps:
1. Share Belin's Columns: Sharing her work on social media platforms and among personal networks can amplify the message and reinforce positions held by a broader audience.
2. Advocate for Unified Campaign Strategies: Encourage advocacy and political groups that oppose the ruling to unify their efforts into a single, cohesive campaign strategy. and
3. Engage at State and Local Levels:
By following these steps, voters can voice their dissent and encourage and energize others to work towards change in the political landscape regarding abortion rights in Iowa.
The dissent by Justice Mansfield is equally remarkable, as you said. It’s as though none of those who passed this statute gave a second thought to any of the side effects. Zealotry is so dangerous!
Thanks again for all your work on this.