This website is best viewed in a browser that supports web standards.

Skip to content or, if you would rather, Skip to navigation.

Listen Live
Donate
MARYVILLE

KXCV-KRNW


News Brief

May 9, 2019Des Moines, IA |  By: AP

Iowa Governor signs measure to weaken influence of attorneys

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a measure into law
that gives her greater control over the way judges are selected and weakening
the influence of attorneys.

Language making the change was inserted into a larger funding bill approved on
the last day of the legislative session.

Reynolds signed it Wednesday with no fanfare, announcing her approval in an
email that also noted four other bills.

She says she's proud to sign it "to give all Iowans a greater voice in the
process."

The majority of the 17-member state judge nominating commission members will
now be picked by the governor - she will chose nine while lawyers will chose
eight.

The commission nominates finalists for the Iowa Supreme Court and the Iowa
Court of Appeals and submits them to the governor, who makes the final choice.

Democrats accused Republicans of trying to stack the courts in their favor
after losing cases involving abortion and same-sex marriage.

Iowa is among at least four states where Republican lawmakers moved to lessen
the role of attorneys on judicial nominating panels