Iowa foes of same-sex marriage seek to oust judges who legalized it
from The Washington Post
... Last year, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that the state's law barring the recognition of same-sex marriage violated the Iowa Constitution. It was a major victory for gay rights groups, in part because Iowa is the only Midwestern state to allow same-sex couples to legally wed, joining four other states and the District of Columbia.
Supporters note that ousting the judges would not change the ruling. Nevertheless, they see it as a symbolic threat and have begun reaching out to voters.
"I think those opponents of same-sex marriage are going to grab hold of this and run with it, and it will be a big battle ax that they can shake around and say, 'You're next,' " said Carolyn S. Jenison, executive director of One Iowa, a gay advocacy group.
The controversy has drawn the attention of the Iowa Bar Association and legal experts around the country, including former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is slated to address the matter at an event here next month. O'Connor for years has spoken out against the judicial elections, arguing that they create "politicians in robes."
