Lee Rowland: A Dark Day for Democracy in Iowa

It took just a stroke of newly-elected Governor Terry Branstad’s pen to turn the clock back on Iowans’ voting rights by decades. Immediately upon taking office this month, Governor Branstad rushed to revoke Executive Order 42, a policy signed in 2005 by former Governor Tom Vilsack, which automatically restored voting rights to individuals with criminal convictions once they had completed their sentences. Now, Iowa has become one of just three states that permanently disenfranchise all citizens after a criminal conviction. Prior to Executive Order 42, Iowa disenfranchised adults at a rate twice the national average, and had the nation’shighest rate of African-American disenfranchisement. Governor Branstad has resurrected one of the most punishing and discriminatory voting bans in the country.

As much as I love being an Iowan and living in Iowa, I have to admit, it’s been a rough few months. First the citizens allowed three supeme court justices to be voted out of office for making a legally sound decision (read as, doing their job), now our current-former Governor has decided that anyone who has a criminal (read felony) conviction in Iowa permanently loses the right to vote.

Oh and as opposed to the Gay Marriage Amendment that is in the works, this one was done by executive fiat. 

Anyone who thought that Branstad actually cares about what the people of Iowa want was kidding themselves. It’s going to be a long 4 years.

House GOP leader open to impeaching Supreme Court justices | Iowa Independent

If the people of Iowa demand that the remaining four justices on the state Supreme Court be impeached, Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) said Wednesday he would not stand in the way.

The Iowa constitution allows for impeachment of a judge that has committed a “misdemeanor or malfeasance” while in office. I’m not sure, but last time I checked, making a ruling that a particular group disagrees with is neither illegal or an act of misconduct.

This is getting ridiculous.