(Radio Iowa) — Republicans at the statehouse are drawing up plans to change the make-up of the commission that nominates people to the governor for judgeships, in response to what they say is “judicial activism.” Iowa’s Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 and recently overturned a G-O-P plan to require a three-day waiting period for abortions. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Ankeny, says there are “a lot of people” who are frustrated. “Over the last 20 years, there has been more and more judicial activism, where the Supreme Court justices are trying to legislate from the bench,” Whitver says. “If they want to be legislators, run for the legislature. Otherwise, they should be interpreting the laws and the constitution as we give them, and so it’s just a matter of accumulation of dozens and dozens and dozens of activist ruling from the court, that you’re trying to curb some of that.”

Governor Kim Reynolds last year appointed her father to the panel that recommends DISTRICT COURT nominees. It’s clear she and Republican lawmakers plan to target the attorneys appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission by the Iowa State Bar Association. “It’s about making sure it’s a fair process,” Reynolds said during a Radio Iowa interview. “When I interview judges, I don’t care what party they are, I want an individual who is going to uphold the law and not create it and so right now eight members of the commission are selected by the Bar.”

An amendment to the Iowa Constitutional set up a “merit based” system for judges on the district courts, court of appeals and Iowa Supreme Court. The Judicial Nominating Commission interviews candidates and submits three nominees to the governor, who must choose a judge from that list. Senator Whitver, who is an attorney, says the commission will be retained, but the way commission members are appointed is likely to change. “Right now, there’s 16 members of that commission that select our supreme court justices. Eight are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate. Eight are voted on by attorneys and you must be an attorney and there’s no governor oversight or legislature oversight on that,” Whitver said. “And so, if you’re an attorney in the state of Iowa, that’s great. You have a much better chance of being on the Judicial Nominating Commission. If you’re not an attorney, your chances are very slim.”

Whitver says the “general populace” should have “more say” than attorneys in deciding who gets to be an Iowa judge. “It’s kind of a parochial system when you only have lawyers serving in those roles,” Whitver says. Supporters of the present system say attorneys on the commission have valuable insight into how a prospective judge has operated in the legal system. House Minority Leader Todd Prichard, a Democrat from Charles City, says “The worst thing that we can do is politicize our judiciary. What problem are we trying to fix? I think accusing a merit-based judiciary of activism is unfounded.”

Prichard, who is also an attorney, says Iowa’s judicial nominating system is a model for the rest of the country. “I have friends who are lawyers in other states where they elect judges and I get very leery of these kind of ideas, because is that the kind of path we’re on, is to make these political appointments, political races,” Prichard says. Prichard and his fellow legislators made their comments during a forum at the statehouse organized by The Associated Press.

(Update 4-p.m.) — Sheriff’s officials in Shelby County report that at around 4:14-a.m. today (Friday), a Shelby County Deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a 2006 Ford Mustang for speeding. The driver failed to stop for the deputy and a pursuit was initiated south of Portsmouth. The pursuit continued south through Harrison County and then west on interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County.

Pottawattamie County deputies attempted to utilize tire deflation devices near Neola but the driver was able to avoid them. They attempted a second time near Underwood and were successful. The vehicle continued through Council Bluffs and into Nebraska with a flat tire. Authorities from Nebraska picked up the pursuit and eventually apprehended the suspect near 25th St and Cornhusker Rd.

Larry Phillips, Sr. (Sarpy Co. NE Jail booking photo)

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 37 year old Larry Phillips from Collierville, TN. He was taken into custody by Nebraska authorities on charges that include: (Felony) Operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest (Eluding); Operating a vehicle without air in the tires No operator’s license, and Willful reckless driving/1st offense. Warrants for his arrest are also being requested for Eluding charges in Iowa. Phillips remains held without bond in the Sarpy County, NE. Jail.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol, Phillips Sr. had an a non-extraditable warrant out of Tennessee. When asked why he tried to flee, troopers said he told them it was because he was scared.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was assisted during the incident by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and numerous agencies in Nebraska.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Another of the four people charged in the slaying of a man at a Council Bluffs homeless shelter has been imprisoned. Pottawattamie County District Court records say 33-year-old Brandon Hollis was sentenced Thursday to 20 years. He’d pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and willful injury after prosecutors dropped a murder charge. Hollis, 47-year-old Vance Good, 20-year-old James McCauley and 21-year-old Cody Varnes were charged after the March 21, 2018, killing of 44-year-old Lee Johnson in a bathroom at Joshua House.

Good’s been convicted of first-degree murder, and Tuesday he was sentenced to life in prison McCauley has pleaded not guilty to robbery and first-degree murder, but another plea hearing is scheduled next week for him. Varnes has pleaded not guilty to robbery, but a plea and sentencing hearing is set Jan. 24 for him. The records don’t say what charges either man will be pleading to at his hearing.

(Radio Iowa) — Due to “high demand,” there will be more than one inaugural ball to mark the start of Kim Reynolds’ first full term as governor. Tickets to an inaugural ball on Friday, January 18th sold out, so a second inaugural ball will be staged at the same time, in a building nearby in downtown Des Moines. Governor Reynolds says she and her husband, Kevin, will dash from one to the other. “So we make both of them a special and fun evening,” Reynolds says.

Crowds at both balls will see the governor in the same attire. “By trying to finish up a campaign, go into the Election, go into Christmas, try to be a good grandma for 10 grandchildren, to host Christmas and spent time with family and to babysit — because I haven’t had time to do that — we’re lucky I got a dress, let’s just say that,” Reynolds joked yesterday. The Iowa G-O-P staged an “Inaugural Fundraiser” for Reynolds in June of 2017 — a week after she took over in the middle of Terry Branstad’s sixth term as governor.