Free Republic

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state's Medicaid program must cover sex reassignment surgery for transgender people. The court ruled Friday that the Iowa Department of Human Services discriminated against two women by denying their Medicaid claims for transition-related care. “The ruling means that many transgender Iowans will be able to obtain life-saving medical care that they were unable to get in the past," said John Knight with the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the women. The state argued that transition-related surgeries were not covered by Medicaid because they were "cosmetic, reconstructive or plastic surgery." It specifically banned...

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A dentist acted legally when he fired an assistant that he found attractive simply because he and his wife viewed the woman as a threat to their marriage, the all-male Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. The court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an “irresistible attraction,” even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. Such firings may be unfair, but they are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they are motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote....

Matthew Zimmerman got a ticket in February 2010 for driving with steel cleats on his tractor. He drove over newly paved road. He was 13 years old at the time of the citation. His punishment was $500 or 30 days in jail. There was a possibility for both, plus pay for road damages. Matthew (pictured in Des Moines Register) is 15 now and has had the Iowa Supreme Court weigh in on his case.

<p>Several GOP lawmakers say they’ll try to impeach the justices who joined in a unanimous 2009 ruling that legalized gay marriage in Iowa.</p> <p>Last month, voters ousted three justices who were up for retention.</p> <p>Upmeyer, a Garner Republican, said she wants a clear understanding of what constitutes “malfeasance” and she wants to discuss the issue with the GOP caucus before deciding how to proceed.</p>

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines Register poll shows more than one-third of voters want to remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined a unanimous ruling that legalized gay marriage. The poll published Sunday found that 37 percent of likely voters intend to vote to remove all three justices and 34 percent say they will vote to retain all the judges. Another 10 percent plan to retain only some justices, 11 percent don't intend on vote on the judges and 8 percent aren't sure how they'll vote. If Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices David Baker and Michael...

DES MOINES -- The Iowa Department of Transportation has the authority to deny driver's licenses to illegal aliens residing in Iowa, according to a unanimous decision issued by the Iowa Supreme Court today. The issue was raised in a case from by Juan and Maria Sanchez, who represented a class of illegal, undocumented aliens present in Iowa who want to obtain driver's licenses. The class-action suit brought in November 2000 claimed the denial of driving privileges violated protections both under the federal and Iowa constitutions. However, a district judge dismissed the suit, agreeing with the state's contention that illegal aliens...