An advocacy group formed to support 3
Iowa judges marked for ouster by gay marriage foes has launched a new
radio campaign.
Fair Courts for Us began airing the ads
in 7 markets on Friday and promised to expand coverage next week.
In the spot, former Republican Governor
Robert Ray is heard saying, “We'll never agree with every call, but
you shouldn't fire the good referees over just one call,” as
football fans react to a referee's controversial call.
“The same is true for the Iowa
Supreme Court,” Ray says.
Voters will decide in November whether
to keep three out of the court's seven judges. Retention of Chief
Justice Marsha Ternus and Justices David Baker and Michael Streit
will be on the ballot this year.
Social conservatives are furious at the
court's 2009 unanimous decision that brought gay marriage to the
Midwest and have mounted a campaign to ax the judges.
“It's important for people to
understand that voting 'yes' to retain the justices is a vote to keep
politics out of our courts,” said Dan Moore, a Republican and
co-chair of Fair Courts for Us. “Iowa's court system is respected
and highly ranked nationally for its fairness and impartially.”
Sioux City businessman Bob Vander
Plaats is spearheading the campaign to remove the judges from the
bench. He launched the Iowa for Freedom campaign after losing the
Republican nomination for governor.
“This is about freedom,” Vander
Plaats told a crowd at a recent Taking Back America meeting in Cedar
Falls. “Marriage happens to be the issue.”
The group has reportedly begun a
robocall campaign urging voters to oust the three judges.