Iowa Supreme Court Justice David May facing November retention vote amid abortion ruling

Des Moines, Iowa – On your ballot in November will be a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court who supported the state’s restrictive abortion laws. After heart activity is identified, which is often about six weeks into a pregnancy, the law forbids abortion. The bill could go into force, the Iowa Supreme Court decided in a 4-3 ruling at the end of June.

Unlike federal judges, Iowa Supreme Court justices are not appointed for life. Every eight years, they are put up for retention votes.

There’s usually not a lot of drama. This time, a court voted in favor of enforcing Iowa’s stringent abortion laws. That might start to matter in terms of how long he sits on the bench.

Rekha Basu, a former Des Moines Register columnist, says she will vote to dismiss Justice David May. “It’s appalling that a group of female members of the Iowa Supreme Court, who are predominately male, are deciding what rights a woman or a girl has over her own body,” stated Basu.

According to Basu, the court’s decision went against popular opinion. “It goes against the will of the people of Iowa because the majority of Iowans—more than 60%—believe in a woman’s right to choose an abortion,” the speaker stated.

Conservative lawyer Alan Ostergren, meanwhile, believes Iowans ought to retain May on the bench. “This justice performed his duties and rendered a fair and impartial decision based on his reasonable interpretation of the law,” Ostergren stated.

Ostergren adds that although national elections will receive the most of the focus in this election, this one is also worth watching. “The court must have the authority to render difficult rulings. decisions that, since they’re based on the law and not public opinion polls, not everyone will necessarily agree with,” he remarked.

Basu has an alternative viewpoint.

“Why is there a retention election in the first place if they believe politics have no place in the legal system? The law of Iowa provides for that. You vote yes if you believe that an individual is deserving of a seat on the Supreme Court based on their decisions. You vote no if they are not qualified. How is that political?,” she questioned.

Governor Reynolds will get the names of prospective justices from a state commission if voters ultimately decide to remove May. Reynolds will then decide who gets to take the seat in the end.