Emboldened by their successful campaign to oust three state Supreme Court justices for backing a unanimous ruling that allowed gay marriage in Iowa, political conservatives are pressing to revamp state's system for selecting the court's members.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt on Thursday heard arguments from groups for and against a conservative-led effort to re-write the rules that govern the makeup of the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission, a 15-member board that nominates three district-level judges for the governor to choose from for each open position on the state Supreme Court.
The commission, which was created by voters in 1962 in an amendment to the state constitution, is comprised of seven members elected by the Iowa State Bar Association, seven members chosen by the governor, and the high court's senior justice, who acts as the commission's chairman.
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Complete article at NECN : http://bit.ly/dST6EP
