Turn the ballot over and vote no

To the editor:

A unanimous decision by seven unelected judges of the Iowa Supreme Court in the Varnum vs. Brien case, dated April 3, 2009, held that the state?s limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. That decision established same-sex marriage in Iowa.

In November 2010, Iowa voters defeated the retention of three of the judges responsible for the decision. Voters approved the removal of the three by voting ?no? to retain them. The ?no? vote was a rebuke of judicial overreach. That decision was confirmed by We the People.

When you vote in the coming election, turn the ballot over and vote ?no.? The names of three additional Iowa Supreme Court judges who voted for same-sex marriage in 2009 are listed on the back of the ballot. In Iowa, judges face no opponents in retention elections. Therefore, they will automatically be retained unless We the People exercise the same prerogative today that we did in 2010 and exercise our privilege to vote ?no.? That decision will remove them from office.

? Emily Reneker, Douds