April 8, 2009

Research assistant of the month

[T]he court never even quoted the language of Iowa’s Equal Protection Clause, showing the court’s disinterest in the actual text of the Iowa constitution. — comment, Apr. 7, 1:14 p.m.
Simply ... amazing. (Now that took judicial restraint.)

"Actual text" (for the exclusive benefit of the disinterested):

B. Legal Tests to Gauge Equal Protection. The foundational principle of equal protection is expressed in article I, section 6 of the Iowa Constitution, which provides: "All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation; the general assembly shall not grant to any citizen or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms shall not equally belong to all citizens." See also Iowa Const. art. I, § 1 ("All men and women are, by nature, free and equal . . . ."); id. art. I, § 2 (recognizing "[a]ll political power is inherent in the people" and "[g]overnment is instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people"). Varnum v. Brien, No. 07-1499, slip op. at [the very, very top of page] 19 (Iowa, Apr. 3, 2009).

Emphasis in original.

Here, incidentally, is the appropriate response to "criticisms" that a State court did something not yet accomplished by a federal court:

"So What?"

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