JURIST - Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Friday that the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) must list both spouses of a same-sex couple on their children's birth certificates. Melissa and Heather Gartner sued the IDPH after officials refused to include the name of their child's non-biologica....... [more]

On April 25, 2007, the Iowa General Assembly passed a bill that granted equal opportunity protections to gay and lesbian individuals in areas of housing, employment and education. The bill was a precursor to the Iowa Supreme Court overturning Iowa's ban on same-sex marriage. Today, Iowa is one of 21....... [more]

On March 2, 2010, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal to prevent Washington DC's same-sex marriage law from taking effect. Chief Justice John Roberts, acting as the DC Circuit judge, abjured an application requesting a stay of the Religion Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Act of 2009 pending fur....... [more]

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a woman whose will designated that she be buried in Montana must be buried in Iowa at the behest of her husband. It ruled that the state's Final Disposition Act gives the spouse of a decedent "the right to control the final disposition...with no accompanyi....... [more]

The Polk County court in Iowa ruled Monday that both same-sex parents' names should be listed on their child's death certificate. Jennifer and Jessica Buntemeyer, a legally married couple, sued the state of Iowa to include both women's names on the death certificate after Jessica gave birth to a sti....... [more]

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday passed a resolution condmening extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions on the basis of "gender identity" for the first time. In a vote of 108 to 1, the UNGA amended the resolution to include language urging states around the world "to investigate....... [more]

On October 8, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, which expanded financial aid to undocumented immigrant students in the state, into law. Much of the provisions within the California statute mirrored those in the federal Development Relief and Education for Alien M....... [more]

On July 4, 2005, Iowa Governor Tom Vislack issued an executive order that restored voting rights to convicted felons once their sentences had been served. Previously, offenders had to apply to the governor's office to be permitted to vote again. Governor Vislack had announced in June 2005 his decisi....... [more]

On June 28, 2011, the Ohio House of Representatives approved legislation prohibiting abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detectable. The bill provided no exceptions for rape, incest or health of the mother, calling into question its constitutional legitimacy. Ohio has been one of several states, inc....... [more]

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) said Friday that President Barack Obama's plan to issue an executive order implementing policies of the DREAM Act is unconstitutional and he plans to sue the Obama administration to delay its implementation. King claims that this executive order would effectively implem....... [more]

On June 2, 2006, Chief Judge Robert W. Pratt of the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa issued an opinion finding that a religious prison organization receiving government funds violated the US Constitution because it was used to rehabilitate prison inmates by advocating the tenets o....... [more]