In mid-December, the State Judicial Nominating Commission began taking applications for three vacancies on the Iowa Supreme Court.

The Judicial Nominating Commission is made up of the Senior Justice on the Supreme Court, seven non-lawyer members appointed by the Governor, and seven lawyer members. Commission members are chosen without regard to political affiliation.

Even as he vowed to protect gay rights, Democrats in the Iowa Senate on Sunday chose to keep Sen. Mike Gronstal as their majority leader.

No one mounted a challenge for the leadership role, several senators said after they finished a private two-hour meeting at the Iowa Capitol.

Senate Democrats also voted to keep Sen. Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, as Senate president.

It was one of the more striking results from last week's elections: three Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined last year's pro-gay-marriage ruling were voted out of office. Opponents of gay marriage celebrated, confident that a miscarriage of justice had been corrected at the ballot box, but they were wrong. The removal of these three judges — all highly respected jurists, appointed by both Republican and Democratic governors — should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who cares about the American system of justice.

In Iowa, supreme court justices are nominated to the bench by the governor in a merit-based system, but the voters get a chance to decide whether to keep them on for their first term and later for any additional terms. In last week's election, voters opted to remove Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, David Baker and Michael Streit. Their ousters marked the first time that an Iowa Supreme Court justice had been removed since the system was put in place in 1962.

The ouster of three Iowa Supreme Court justices created a load of problems Wednesday for state court administrators who have to keep the state judiciary afloat.

Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justices Michael Streit and David Baker were booted from the bench Tuesday, largely for their part in the unanimous 2009 ruling that allowed same-sex couples to marry in Iowa.

It was the first time Iowa voters have not retained Supreme Court justices since 1962, when the merit selection and retention system for judges was adopted. When the justices' terms expire on Dec. 31, it will be the first time there have been multiple vacancies on the high court.

I am humbled by the outcome of the election and look forward to serving the people of Senate District #31 for the next 4 years.

There is much work to be done and I will continue to strive to create an environment to put Iowans back to work, control spending, and ensure that all children in Iowa have equal opportunities for an excellent education.

As always, I remain available to you by email, phone, or personal visits. Thank you.

Matt McCoy

Election Day is quickly approaching. Many Iowans have already voted early, and hundreds of thousands more will vote at the polls on Tuesday, November 2.

During my time in the Legislature, I’ve worked to increase voter participation and election integrity by ensuring voting machines are more user-friendly and reliable, and making early voting more convenient.

Iowans head to the polls next week on November 2nd and it is very important everyone votes so Iowa continues to lead the nation.

There are critical issues at stake in this election.

ACCESSline, Iowa's newspaper for the LGBT and HIV+ communities and their allies, endorses Matt McCoy for Iowa Senate, 31st District. The McCoy campaign seeks support of district residents.

Senator Matt McCoy is facing Dave Leach, a Des Moines anti-abortion activist and vocal supporter of a man convicted of murdering a Kansas abortion provider. Leach says he “fell on the floor” each time he saw television commercials that feature McCoy and other prominent Iowans saying fear won’t stop them from interacting normally with people living with HIV+. Leach's comments made it clear that he is completely ignorant about how HIV is spread, and indicate (with his past anti-gay statements) that as a senator he would be completely unsympathetic to the very real needs of LGBT and HIV+ citizens.

The McCoy campaign has provided the following information for providing support:

Here's how you can help: Yard Signs are here and we need your support. If you live in Senator McCoy's district request a McCoy for Senate sign for your yard! Fill out the form at www.mccoyforsenate.com/index.php/vote-2010/yard-signs and help get Matt reelected!

Stay in touch with McCoy for Senate by signing up for text alerts. McCoy Mobile is a free service to keep you informed of important news and events. Sign-up at www.mccoyforsenate.com/index.php/vote-2010/mccoy-mobile.

To find out more about Senator Matt McCoy checkout his website, www.mccoyforsenate.com.

Republican Dave Leach says he “fell on the floor” each time he saw television commercials that he says raise questions about whether his Iowa Senate opponent is HIV positive.

In response, state Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, said today he doesn’t understand Leach’s reaction to the anti-stigma advertisements, and that it shouldn’t matter whether or not he has the infection.