Iowa Supreme Court decisions show willingness to overturn precedent
Good morning,
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled earlier this summer that the state does not recognize a fundamental right to an abortion — overturning their own precedent from a few years ago.
That decision was one of several cases this term where justices considered the merits of overruling previous decisions, according to a new analysis by courts reporter William Morris.
Justices wrote opinions in the 2021-2022 term where they called for the court to reconsider recent decisions on jury selection and warrantless trash searches. However, in other cases, the Supreme Court justices said precedent should be respected.
This is politics reporter Katie Akin. I worked with William to cover the Iowa Supreme Court's abortion decision, which he identified as a "defining decision" of the just-ended term. That decision altered the foundation of Iowa abortion laws, opening up new avenues for lawmakers to possibly restrict the procedure.
But William notes the decision itself was technical, largely focused on the issue of precedents and when it is acceptable to overrule them.
Similar questions of legal precedent linger at the U.S. Supreme Court, where the overturn of Roe v. Wade has left some fearing other landmark decisions may be next. Justice Clarence Thomas in his dissent suggested several cases, including those protecting same-sex marriage and contraception, may be worth a second look.
Thomas was not joined in his opinion by any other justices, but his concurrence led to a push in Congress to codify protections for marriage and birth control. It also prompted some concerned Iowans to seek vasectomies for fear that contraception may be in danger.
You can read more about the Iowa Supreme Court's term in William's piece. Follow his work on Twitter, @DMRMorris.
Got questions or thoughts about the recent court cases on abortion? Contact me via email, kakin@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Supreme Court decisions show willingness to overturn precedent
