The Iowa GOP has "filed four articles of impeachment, one for each remaining member of the Iowa Supreme Court that participated in an April 2009 decision that struck down a legislative ban on same-sex marriage as a violation of the state's equal protection clause," the Iowa Independent reports.
The four House resolutions target Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady (HR 48) and Justices Brent Appel (HR 47), Daryl Hecht (HR 49) and David Wiggins (HR 50) for “malfeasance in office” specifically for their ruling in the Varnum v. Brien case, saying that each justice “exercis[ed] functions properly belonging to the legislative and executive departments.”
The four GOP lawmakers offering the resolutions were Reps. Tom Shaw of Laurens, Dwayne Alons of Hull, Betty De Boef of What Cheer, Glen Massie of Des Moines and Kim Pearson of Pleasant Hill.
Bob Vander Plaats, the anti-gay activist who led the drive to remove the Justices and heads The Family Leader, has previously called for the resignation of the entire Supreme Court and advocated for their removal over the marriage equality ruling in Varnum v. Brien. He is also building ties with likely presidential candidates as Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Herman Cain have either addressed or plan to speak during The Family Leader's “presidential lecture series.”
Iowa's Governor Terry Branstad, who has expressed his desire to have the judges removed by vote when they are up for retention, said in January that he didn't not believe impreachment was an appropriate measure to be taken.
