Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady in his State of the Judiciary address complained to the Legislature about the budget cuts his branch has been faced with.
I’d like to make a suggestion with the Judicial Branch’s quest to be more efficient that they start with not taking on stupid cases like this one. Seriously, they don’t have to hear every case that is filed in Civil Court. Perhaps being a little more discerning regarding the merits of a case – pursue actual justice and less social engineering.
One statement in The Des Moines Register article linked above that caught my eye:
“Without more money, the courts face another round of layoffs the next time required pay raises kick in, Cady said.”
And that there is the problem with state government. Where in the private sector do you have “required pay raises”? I want my required pay raise!
Seriously I think when Iowa Courts want to pretend they are a super legislature they should remember they don’t have any budgetary authority. The Legislature should help the Courts focus their work load through tort reform, simplifying the Iowa Code, and removing the jurisdiction of district courts on a whole host of legislation – starting with the definition of marriage, gun rights legislation, right to work, public union collective bargaining laws, and whose name actually appears on a birth certificate.
You know, help them be more efficient.
Originally posted at The Des Moines Register’s From The Right blog