Des Moines, Iowa — A senator has a plan that would give the governor authority to appoint the majority of members on commissions that nominate Iowans to be district court judges. Republican Senator Julian Garrett would have the governor appoint six of the 11 members on each of the district court nominating panels.
A budget bill that’s cleared initial review in the Iowa Senate includes Garrett’s proposed change for district court judicial nominating commissions. Iowa governors appoint judges from lists of nominees submitted by these commissions and Peter Hird of the Iowa AFL-CIO says the change would give the governor more influence over the judicial branch.
Garrett’s proposal also removes the judges from each of the district court nominating commissions. Doug Struyk of the Iowa State Bar Association says the perspective of a local district judge provides valuable insight into the lawyers who are applying to become a judge.
In 2019, Governor Reynolds signed a law that removed the longest-serving Iowa Supreme Court justice from the commission that nominates people to serve on the Iowa Court of Appeals AND the Iowa Supreme Court. For the past five years, Reynolds has also had the authority to appoint a majority of the members of that STATE judicial nominating commission.
