Iowa Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Law and government== ===State=== [[File:Iowa State Capitol April 2010.jpg|thumb|The [[Iowa State Capitol]] in Des Moines, completed in 1886, is the only state capitol in the United States to feature five domes, a central golden dome surrounded by four smaller ones. It houses the [[Iowa General Assembly]], comprising the [[Iowa House of Representatives]] and [[Iowa Senate]].]] [[File:Iowa Supreme Court.jpg|thumb|The [[Iowa Supreme Court]], across from the capitol, is the state's highest court.]] {{As of|2022}}, the 43rd and current [[Governor of Iowa]] is [[Kim Reynolds]] (R). Other statewide elected officials are: * [[Adam Gregg]] (R), [[List of lieutenant governors of Iowa|Lieutenant Governor]] * [[Paul Pate]] (R), [[Secretary of State of Iowa|Secretary of State]] * [[Rob Sand]] (D), [[Auditor of State of Iowa|Auditor of State]] * [[Roby Smith]] (R), [[Treasurer of State of Iowa|Treasurer of State]] * [[Mike Naig]] (R), [[Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa|Secretary of Agriculture]] * [[Brenna Bird]] (R), [[Attorney General of Iowa|Attorney General]] The [[Code of Iowa]] contains Iowa's [[statutory law]]s. It is periodically updated by the Iowa Legislative Service Bureau, with a new edition published in odd-numbered years and a supplement published in even-numbered years. Iowa is an alcohol monopoly or [[alcoholic beverage control state]]. ===National=== {{Further|List of United States Senators from Iowa|List of United States Representatives from Iowa}} The two U.S. Senators: * [[Chuck Grassley]] (R), in office since 1981 * [[Joni Ernst]] (R), in office since 2015 The four U.S. Representatives: * [[Mariannette Miller-Meeks]] (R), [[Iowa's 1st congressional district|First district]] * [[Ashley Hinson]] (R), [[Iowa's 2nd congressional district|Second district]] * [[Zach Nunn]] (R), [[Iowa's 3rd congressional district|Third district]] * [[Randy Feenstra]] (R), [[Iowa's 4th congressional district|Fourth district]] After the [[2010 United States Census]] and the resulting redistricting, Iowa lost one seat in Congress, falling to four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent U.S. Representatives [[Leonard Boswell]] (D) and [[Tom Latham (politician)|Tom Latham]] (R) ran against each other in [[United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2012|2012]] in the third congressional district which had new boundaries; Latham won and retired after the [[United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2014|2014 elections]]. King represented the old [[Iowa's 5th congressional district|fifth congressional district]]. ===Political parties=== {{Main|Political party strength in Iowa}} [[File:Samuel Jordan Kirkwood.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Samuel J. Kirkwood]], founder of the Iowa Republican Party, abolitionist, and Iowa's Civil War Governor]] In Iowa, the term "political party" refers to political organizations which have received two percent or more of the votes cast for president or governor in the "last preceding general election". Iowa recognizes three political parties—the [[Republican Party of Iowa|Republican Party]], the [[Iowa Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], and the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Forming a Political Party in Iowa |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/formpoliticalparty.html |website=sos.iowa.gov |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate |access-date=October 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107115523/http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/formpoliticalparty.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Libertarian Party obtained official political party status in 2017 as a result of presidential candidate [[Gary Johnson]] receiving 3.8% of the Iowa vote in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 general election]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Libertarian Party obtains official political party status in Iowa |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/news/2017_03_2.html |website=sos.iowa.gov |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate |access-date=October 22, 2018 |archive-date=October 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022193511/https://sos.iowa.gov/news/2017_03_2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Third party (politics)|Third parties]], officially termed "nonparty political organizations", can appear on the ballot as well. Four of these have had candidates on the ballot in Iowa since 2004 for various positions: the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]], the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]], the [[United States Pirate Party|Pirate Party]], and the [[Socialist Workers Party (United States)|Socialist Workers Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf |title=Official Results Report—Statewide: 2006 General Election |access-date=July 26, 2007 |publisher=[[Iowa Secretary of State]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715101939/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/GenOffResults.pdf |archive-date=July 15, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2004/general/CanvassSummary.pdf |title=Canvass Summary: 2004 General Election |access-date=July 26, 2007 |publisher=[[Chet Culver|Chester J. Culver]], [[Iowa Secretary of State]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104025211/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2004/general/CanvassSummary.pdf |archive-date=January 4, 2007 }}</ref> ===Voter trends=== {{See also|United States presidential elections in Iowa}} {{PresHead|place=Iowa|whig=yes|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2008&fips=19&f=1&off=0&elect=0&type=state|title=Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Iowa|publisher=US Election Atlas|access-date=January 1, 2023|author=Leip, David}}</ref>}} <!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{PresRow|2020|Republican|897,672|759,061|34,138|Iowa}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|800,983|653,669|111,379|Iowa}} {{PresRow|2012|Democratic|730,617|822,544|29,019|Iowa}} {{PresRow|2008|Democratic|682,379|828,940|25,804|Iowa}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|751,957|741,898|13,053|Iowa}} {{PresRow|2000|Democratic|634,373|638,517|42,673|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1996|Democratic|492,644|620,258|121,173|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1992|Democratic|504,891|586,353|263,363|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1988|Democratic|545,355|670,557|9,702|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|703,088|605,620|11,097|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|676,026|508,672|132,963|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1976|Republican|632,863|619,931|26,512|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|706,207|496,206|23,531|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1968|Republican|619,106|476,699|72,126|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|449,148|733,030|2,361|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1960|Republican|722,381|550,565|864|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1956|Republican|729,187|501,858|3,519|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1952|Republican|808,906|451,513|8,354|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1948|Democratic|494,018|522,380|21,874|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1944|Republican|547,267|499,876|5,456|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1940|Republican|632,370|578,800|4,260|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|487,977|621,756|33,000|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|414,433|598,019|24,235|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1928|Republican|623,570|379,311|6,608|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1924|Republican|537,458|160,382|278,930|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1920|Republican|634,674|227,921|32,487|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1916|Republican|280,439|221,699|14,806|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|119,805|185,325|187,226|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1908|Republican|275,209|200,771|18,789|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1904|Republican|308,158|149,276|28,659|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1900|Republican|307,808|209,265|13,282|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1896|Republican|289,293|233,741|8,513|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1892|Republican|219,795|196,367|26,997|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1888|Republican|211,603|179,877|12,655|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1884|Republican|197,089|177,316|2,796|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1880|Republican|183,904|105,845|32,919|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1876|Republican|171,326|112,121|9,431|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1872|Republican|131,566|71,189|13,610|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1868|Republican|120,399|74,040|0|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1864|Republican|88,500|49,525|0|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1860|Republican|70,302|55,639|2,798|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1856|Republican|45,073|37,568|9,669|Iowa}} {{PresRow|1852|Democratic|15,856|17,763|1,745|Iowa}} {{PresFoot|1848|Democratic|9,930|11,238|1,103|Iowa}} As a result of the 2010 elections, each party controlled one house of the [[Iowa General Assembly]]: the House had a Republican majority, while the Senate had a Democratic majority. As a result of the 2016 elections, Republicans gained control of the Senate. Incumbent Democratic governor [[Chet Culver]] was defeated in 2010 by Republican [[Terry Branstad]], who had served as governor from 1983 to 1999. On December 14, 2015, Branstad became the longest serving governor in U.S. history, serving (at that time) 20 years, 11 months, and 3{{nbsp}}days; eclipsing [[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]], who served 21 years until 1804.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/14/meet-iowa-gov-terry-branstad-who-as-of-monday-is-americas-longest-serving-governor/|title=Terry Branstad just became the longest serving governor in American history|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=September 14, 2016|archive-date=September 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919170235/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/14/meet-iowa-gov-terry-branstad-who-as-of-monday-is-americas-longest-serving-governor/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds succeeded him on May 24, 2017, following Branstad's appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China. {| class=wikitable style="float:center" ! colspan = 6 | Party registration as of April 1, 2024<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/regstat.html |title=State of Iowa Voter Registration Totals |publisher=Iowa Secretary of State |date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-date=November 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127234423/https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/regstat.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |- ! colspan = 2 | Party ! Total voters ! Percentage |- | {{party color cell|Republican Party (US)}} | [[Iowa Republican Party|Republican]] | align=center | 768,444 | align=center | 34.73% |- | {{party color cell|Independent politician}} | [[Independent voter|No affiliation]] | align=center | 768,521 | align=center | 34.73% |- | {{party color cell|Democratic Party (US)}} | [[Iowa Democratic Party|Democratic]] | align=center | 655,857 | align=center | 29.64% |- | {{party color cell|Other parties (US)}} | [[List of political parties in the United States|Other]] | align=center | 19,847 | align=center | 0.90% |- ! colspan = 2 | Total ! align=center | 2,212,669 ! align=center | 100.00% |} ===Presidential caucus=== {{Main|Iowa caucuses}} The state gets considerable attention every four years because the [[Iowa caucus]], gatherings of voters to select delegates to the state conventions, is the first presidential caucus in the country. The caucuses, held in January or February of the election year, involve people gathering in homes or public places and choosing their candidates, rather than casting secret ballots as is done in a [[presidential primary]] election.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=James Q. Lynch |url=http://www.iowacaucus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/IOWACAUCUS/71119004 |title=What happens at a caucus? |publisher=iowacaucus.com | date=November 19, 2007|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222142101/http://www.iowacaucus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20071119%2FIOWACAUCUS%2F71119004 |archive-date=December 22, 2007 }}</ref> Along with the [[New Hampshire primary]] the following week, Iowa's caucuses have become the starting points for choosing the two major-party candidates for president.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Donovan |first1=Todd |last2=Hunsaker |first2=Rob |date=January 2009 |title=Beyond expectations: effects of early elections in U.S. presidential nomination contests |url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract |journal=PS: Political Science & Politics |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=45–52 |doi=10.1017/S1049096509090040 |s2cid=42839320 |access-date=January 30, 2016 |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715203811/http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract |url-status=live }}</ref> The national and international media give Iowa and New Hampshire extensive attention, which gives Iowa voters leverage.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Donovan |first1=Todd |last2=Redlawsk |first2=David |last3=Tolbert |first3=Caroline |date=September 2014 |title=The 2012 Iowa Republican Caucus and Its Effects on the Presidential Nomination Contest |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=447–466 |doi=10.1111/psq.12132 }}</ref> In 2007 presidential campaign spending was the seventh highest in the country.<ref>{{Citation|last=Swenson|first=David|title=The Economic Impact of the Iowa Caucus: Gauging the Worth of Its First-in-the-Nation Position?|date=April 2008|url=https://www2.econ.iastate.edu/research/webpapers/paper_12911.pdf|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-date=April 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404001453/http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/research/webpapers/paper_12911.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Civil rights=== In a 2020 study, Iowa was ranked as the 24th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=15 Dec 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref> ====Racial equality==== [[File:UnionBlockMtPleasant15.jpg|thumb|The [[Union Block (Mount Pleasant, Iowa)|Union Block]] building, [[Mount Pleasant, Iowa|Mount Pleasant]], scene of early civil rights and women's rights activities]] In the 19th century Iowa was among the earliest states to enact prohibitions against race discrimination, especially in education, but was slow to achieve full integration in the 20th century. In the first decision of the [[Iowa Supreme Court]]—''In Re the Matter of Ralph'',<ref>1 Morris 1 (Iowa 1839)</ref> decided July 1839—the Court rejected slavery in a decision that found a slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil, 26 years before the end of the Civil War.<ref name="civil rights">{{cite web|url=http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/Public_Information/Iowa_Courts_History/Civil_Rights/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505082508/http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/Public_Information/Iowa_Courts_History/Civil_Rights/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 5, 2006 |title=Early Civil Rights Cases |publisher=Judicial.state.ia.us |access-date=July 26, 2010 }}</ref> The state did away with racial barriers to marriage in 1851, more than 100 years before the U.S. Supreme Court would ban [[Anti-miscegenation laws|miscegenation statutes]] nationwide.<ref name="ChicagoTrib">[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-defending-iowa-web,0,2979128.story Gay marriage and Iowa: Why's everyone so surprised?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429060425/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-defending-iowa-web,0,2979128.story |date=April 29, 2009 }}, [[Chicago Tribune]], April 10, 2009</ref> The Iowa Supreme Court decided ''Clark v. The board of directors''<ref>24 Iowa 266 (1868)</ref> in 1868, ruling that racially segregated "separate but equal" schools had no place in Iowa, 85 years before ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''.<ref name="civil rights" /> By 1875, a number of additional court rulings effectively ended segregation in Iowa schools.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Brodnax|first=David|year=2004|title=The Equality of Right: Alexander Clark and the Desegregation of Iowa's Public Schools, 1834–1875|journal=Law and Society Association|url=http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/7/4/2/p117420_index.html|access-date=July 22, 2009|archive-date=July 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721103524/http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/7/4/2/p117420_index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Social and housing discrimination continued against Blacks at state universities until the 1950s.<ref>Breaux, Richard M. (2004) "Maintaining a Home for Girls": The Iowa Federation of Colored Women's Clubs at the University of Iowa 1919–1950, ''Cultural Capital and Black Education'' ed. V.P. Franklin and C.J. Savage. Information Age, Greenwich</ref> The Court heard ''Coger v. The North Western Union Packet Co.''<ref>37 Iowa 145 (1873)</ref> in 1873, ruling against racial discrimination in public accommodations 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reached the same decision.<ref name="civil rights" /> In 1884, the Iowa Civil Rights Act apparently outlawed discrimination by businesses, reading: "All persons within this state shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, restaurants, chophouses, eating houses, lunch counters, and all other places where refreshments are served, public conveyances, barber shops, bathhouses, theaters, and all other places of amusement." However, the courts chose to narrowly apply this act, allowing de facto discrimination to continue.<ref>Iowa Civil Rights Commission, [http://www.iowa.gov/government/crc/docs/annual66activities.html Iowa.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603100106/http://www.iowa.gov/government/crc/docs/annual66activities.html |date=June 3, 2010 }}</ref> Racial discrimination at public businesses was not deemed illegal until 1949, when the court ruled in ''[[State of Iowa v. Katz]]'' that businesses had to serve customers regardless of race; the case began when [[Edna Griffin]] was denied service at a Des Moines drugstore.<ref>African-Americans in Iowa, 1838–2005, [http://www.iptv.org/IowaPathways/myPath.cfm?ounid=ob_000238 IPTV.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506232420/http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/mypath.cfm?ounid=ob_000238 |date=May 6, 2009 }}</ref> Full racial civil rights were codified under the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.<ref>Iowa Civil Rights Commission, [http://www.state.ia.us/government/crc/publications/brochures/english_brochure.html State.ia.us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720010217/http://www.state.ia.us/government/crc/publications/brochures/english_brochure.html |date=July 20, 2009 }}</ref> ====Women's rights==== As with racial equality, Iowa was a vanguard in women's rights in the mid-19th century, but did not allow women the right to vote until the [[Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] was ratified in 1920, Iowa legislature being one of the ratifying votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/iowa-and-the-19th-amendment.htm|title=Iowa and the 19th Amendment (U.S. National Park Service)|website=Nps.gov|access-date=January 21, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704043145/https://www.nps.gov/articles/iowa-and-the-19th-amendment.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1847, the [[University of Iowa]] became the first public university in the U.S. to admit men and women on an equal basis.<ref>About Iowa, [http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/about-UI/index.html Uiowa.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119042543/http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/about-UI/index.html |date=November 19, 2012 }}</ref> In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law, with the Court ruling women may not be denied the right to practice law in Iowa and admitting [[Arabella A. Mansfield]] to the practice of law.<ref name="civil rights" /> Several attempts to grant full voting rights to Iowa women were defeated between 1870 and 1919. In 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. It was not until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment that women had full suffrage in Iowa.<ref>The Fight for Women's Suffrage, [http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/myPath.cfm?ounid=ob_000320 IPTV.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615233319/http://iptv.org/iowapathways/mypath.cfm?ounid=ob_000320 |date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref> Although Iowa supported the Federal [[Equal Rights Amendment]], in 1980 and 1992 Iowa voters rejected an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution.<ref>How Did Iowa Coalitions Campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1980 and 1992?, [http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/iowaera/intro.htm alexanderstreet.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918125012/http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/iowaera/intro.htm |date=September 18, 2009 }}</ref> Iowa added the word "women" to the Iowa Constitution in 1998. After the amendment, it reads: "All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights—among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness."<ref>[http://search.legis.state.ia.us/NXT/gateway.dll/ic/1/2/11?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm).0$q=$uq=1$x=$up=1 1857 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA—CODIFIED] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209200037/http://search.legis.state.ia.us/NXT/gateway.dll/ic/1/2/11?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm).0$q=$uq=1$x=$up=1 |date=February 9, 2014 }}. Search.legis.state.ia.us (July 4, 1973). Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref> In May 2018 Iowa signed into law one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans: the requirement that a doctor cannot perform an abortion if they can detect a fetal heartbeat, which in many cases would restrict abortions pregnancies less than six weeks old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/04/abortion-ban-law-iowa-fetal-heartbeat/577443002/|title=The nation's strictest abortion ban is now law. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill|last1=Pfannenstiel|first1=Brianne|last2=Petroski|first2=William|website=Des Moines Register|access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> It was struck down in January 2019, when an Iowa state judge ruled that the "fetal heartbeat" law was unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/us/iowa-fetal-heartbeat-abortion-unconstitutional/index.html|title=Iowa's 'fetal heartbeat' abortion restriction declared unconstitutional|first1=Eric|last1=Levenson|first2=Marlena|last2=Baldacci|website=CNN|date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123170538/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/us/iowa-fetal-heartbeat-abortion-unconstitutional/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ====LGBT rights==== {{Main|LGBT rights in Iowa}} The state's law criminalizing same-sex sexual activity was repealed in June 1976, 27 years before ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]''. In 2007, the Iowa Legislature added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the protected classes listed in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://icrc.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2016/2016.sogi_.pa1_.pdf|title=Iowa Civil Rights Act—Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity|date=2016|website=State of Iowa|access-date=June 25, 2019|archive-date=July 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712232939/https://icrc.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2016/2016.sogi_.pa1_.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court decided ''[[Varnum v. Brien]]'',<ref>WL 874044 (Iowa 2009) (Publication to N.W.2d pending as of April 9, 2009.)</ref> holding in a [[unanimous]] decision,<ref>{{cite web |last=Martyn |first=Chase |url=http://iowaindependent.com/13495/iowa-supreme-court-same-sex-couples-can-marry-in-iowa |title=Iowa Supreme Court: Same-sex couples can marry " Iowa Independent |publisher=Iowaindependent.com |date=August 25, 2008 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411165337/http://iowaindependent.com/13495/iowa-supreme-court-same-sex-couples-can-marry-in-iowa |archive-date=April 11, 2009 }}</ref> the state's law forbidding [[same-sex marriage]] was [[unconstitutional]]. This made Iowa the third state in the U.S. and first in the Midwest to permit same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hrcbackstory.org/2009/04/breaking-iowa-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-marriage-equality |title=BREAKING: Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality! " Human Rights Campaign |publisher=HRC Back Story |date=April 3, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |archive-date=May 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502132204/http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/04/breaking-iowa-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-marriage-equality/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/04/iowa-court-upholds-gay-marriage.html |title=USA Today, Iowa Court Upholds Gay Marriage |work=USA Today |date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406071701/http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/04/iowa-court-upholds-gay-marriage.html |archive-date=April 6, 2009 }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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