The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled 6-1 that the state may refuse to allow Planned Parenthood to conduct state-sponsored sex education programs funded by federal grants. The court decision released yesterday reverses a district court judge’s ruling last year that found the 2019 law that prohibited abortion providers from teaching the sex education courses was likely unconstitutional. Six of the seven justices rejected Planned Parenthood of the Heartland’s complaint that the law violated its constitutional right to equal protection and that the law served no rational legitimate government interest. The lone dissenter, Justice Brent Appel, disagreed saying the Legislature is trying to “attack abortion rights.”
A federal judge in Iowa has admitted wrongdoing and publicly apologized for comments ridiculing then-President Donald Trump for issuing pardons to well-connected Republican officials. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt made the remarks during a phone interview with The Associated Press in December, saying: “It’s not surprising a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals.” In an attempt at humor, he added, “But apparently to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey.” Pratt’s remarks set off a firestorm of criticism among lawyers, who said that they were inappropriate from a federal judge and smacked of partisanship. In a public apology, more than six months later, Pratt now says his remarks were wrong and he regrets making them.
A woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison for damaging valves and setting fire to construction equipment along an oil pipeline that crosses Iowa and three other states. 39-year-old Jessica Rae Reznicek also was ordered yesterday to pay nearly $3.2 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after her prison term for conspiracy to damage an energy facility ends. Her co-defendant, Ruby Montoya, is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Prosecutors said the two Des Moines women caused the damage at different times from 2016 into 2017.
The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad did not illegally discriminate or retaliate against a gay state official, overturning a landmark $1.5 million jury verdict. The court yesterday found a lack of evidence to show Branstad, a former U.S. ambassador to China, discriminated against then-Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey because of his sexual orientation. Godfrey was widely known as openly gay, but justices say there is no proof Branstad was aware of Godfrey’s sexual orientation before asking him to resign and cutting his salary when Godfrey refused. The ruling overturned a 2019 verdict that found Branstad violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Jurors had awarded Godfrey $1.5 million in damages.
Two men have been sentenced to decades in prison for the 2017 shooting death of a man whose body was found in a Cedar Rapids alley. A judge Tuesday sentenced 21-year-old James Phillips to up to 50 years in prison for the killing of 34-year-old Leland Harris, whose body was found Nov. 22, 2017. Phillips, who was originally charged with first-degree murder, admitted guilt to second-degree murder, saying he was the one who shot Harris. The judge also sentenced 44-year-old Lloyd Koger to up to 19 years in prison for aiding and abetting and other counts. Police say he provided the gun to Phillips and helped Phillips dump Harris’ body.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has awarded $905 million in infrastructure grants. One will help fund the expansion of ports and freight rail in Iowa. The money for 24 projects in 18 states is part of a Biden administration shift of federal awards to promote climate-friendly policies and racial equity. Buttigieg describes them as timely investments as communities seek to pull out from the COVID-19 pandemic and support growth while addressing climate change.
