Huh. Oklahoma sure was knocking 'em out of the park Tuesday evening. Oklahoma voters approved a measure (75.5% in favor) that requires official state business to be conducted in English (English-only). It's up to the state legislature to determine what documents and state business will be conducted in English only, but the legislator behind the bill says that he expects any state licenses, forms, and applications will be in English only. Opponents say it discriminates against new citizens and it violates the right of free speech. Opponents are already planning on filing lawsuits. (Full Story)
They also voted (70% in favor) to forbid judges from considering international law or Islamic law (Sharia law) when deciding cases. There has been no instances of Sharia law used in court cases in Oklahoma, instead this law was designed as a "pre-emptive strike" according to the sponsor of the measure. Members of the Muslim community in Oklahoma say that this is an attack on Islam. A lawsuit is already being filed. The complaint is that this violates the First Amendment right of practicing religion freely. The Center on American-Islamic Relations, who is supporting the citizen that is filing the lawsuit, says that Sharia law is used in divorce cases and other family law cases in some western countries (like the UK and France), but not usually in the U.S. Instead, the way in which it is used in the U.S. has to do with religious practices, like prayer, fasting, and diet. (Full Story)
Both of these measures are obviously examples of the growing fear of outsiders -- particularly Latino immigrants and Muslims. I think these measures have come about due to ridiculous beliefs that some people hold: That Latinos come to America illegally and never learn the language and Americans have to bend over backwards for them (though I don't see how that's happening...), and that Muslims are coming to take over, spread their religion (at the expense of Christianity), and produce terrorists.
Three Iowa Supreme Court justices were voted out of their positions in Tuesday's election. Iowa has a system in place (since 1962) where governor's appoint the justices, but voters have a chance to vote them out at the end of each term. The three that were voted out were among the seven justices that decided unanimously last year that gay couples could get married in Iowa (i.e., that an Iowa law that limits marriage to only a man and a woman was unconstitutional). The justices' decision made them a target of anti-gay groups like the National Organization for Marriage, the American Family Association, and the Family Research Council. These groups spent more than $1 million on their campaign to convince voters to vote out these justices.
The justices chose not to raise money or campaign for themselves, but a group of former governors, lawyers, and judges came together to form Fair Courts For Us to support the judges. Their message was that it's important to have an independent judiciary and that it's at risk if a one-issue campaign succeeds in removing justices. The group's co-chairman said, "[Iowans] need to know courts will be fair and impartial and decisions won't be based on fear and popularity."
The justices will vacate their spot on the bench at the end of the year. There are likely to be delays in the court issuing rulings until the vacancies are filled. This is the first time Iowa voters removed a Supreme Court justice since this current system started in 1962. Once the state election results are certified (which must be done by November 29), the state's 15-member judicial nominating commission will have 60 days to give the governor three nominees for each Supreme Court vacancy. The governor will then have 30 days to make appointments. The current governor is Democrat; however, he just lost to his Republican opponent in Tuesday's election. Due to the timeline for filling vacancies, it means the current governor will not be able to fill the vacancies before he leaves office. The governor-elect, Terry Branstad (R), has in the past supported amending the Iowa constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. He also once said that same-sex marriage led to the downfall of ancient civilizations. But he has also supported the idea of civil unions. (Full Story)
This is a very dangerous tactic, and these anti-gay groups are obviously trying to intimidate judges outside of Iowa as well. The Iowa Supreme Court justices unanimously decided that it was unconstitutional to deny gay couples the right to marriage. Iowa citizens, don't you think that maybe seven justices (seven Iowa justices) coming together in agreement on this issue is probably an indication that this is a pretty legitimate decision? These justices did have to get some sort of training to get on the bench, you know. They've had years of education and experience. Instead of thinking about the reasoning and legality behind the justices' decision, and how they came to their decision, these voters acted on emotion. Just because justices don't vote the way you would like, it doesn't mean they're not doing their job. I certainly don't agree with the conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices, but I don't believe they should be fired because they didn't vote the way I want them to. That's just not the way it works. Sadly, Iowa voters decided to kick three justices off the bench because they were manipulated by these hate-mongering groups that somehow think two individuals of the same sex choosing to get married is the worst thing that could happen. One million dollars could have gone to so many more important, worthwhile things. Instead, it went to convincing Iowans to be hateful and vindictive. Sad.
Now there are only two undecided Senate races left. In Colorado, incumbent Senator Michael Bennet (D) narrowly defeated Tea Party favorite Ken Buck (R). With 97% of the ballots counted, Bennet's lead increased to 15,400 votes. The Associated Press projected that Bennet would win with 47.7% of the votes compared to Buck's 46.8%. Ken Buck conceded yesterday. Michael Bennet had been appointed to his senate seat last year by the governor, in order to fill the seat vacated by Senator Ken Salazar (D). Salazar was selected by Obama to be his interior secretary. With Bennet's win, this brings the Senate balance to 52 Democrats and 46 Republicans. (Full Story)
It is now being reported that the House make-up is 239 Republicans to 186 Democrats.
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