Iowa Supreme Court takes appeal in judge selection law case

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of a lawsuit challenging a new state law that changed the way some judges are selected in Iowa.

A state court judge last month dismissed the lawsuit filed in May by a group of lawyers and Democratic lawmakers against Gov. Kim Reynolds, saying they didn’t have legal standing to challenge the law.

The new law gave the governor an additional appointment to the 17-member state judicial nominating commission, meaning the governor will appoint the majority of members.

The lawsuit alleged the vote of the commission’s lawyer members was diluted and that the law is an unconstitutional overreach by the legislative branch into the judicial branch.

The commission nominates justices for the Iowa Supreme Court and the Iowa Court of Appeals.

Supreme Court Justice Bruce Zager signed an order Tuesday denying a request to halt enforcement of the new law until the case could be considered on appeal. However, Zager says the court will hear the appeal.