Iowa

Iowa’s Chief Justice calls for increasing pay for judges, court appointed attorneys

Published

1 year ago

January 15, 2025

Iowa’s Chief Justice calls for increasing pay for judges, court appointed attorneys

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa’s top judge is calling on state lawmakers to make reforms to the judicial system this legislative session. In particular, she’s asking for changes when it comes to judicial pay and public defenders.

Before a joint session of the legislature Wednesday, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen laid out her vision to make the judicial system better in her Condition of the Judiciary address.

“While we respect the priorities of leaner government and fiscal responsibility, I ask for your partnership in ensuring the courts have the resources needed to fulfill this promise to Iowans,” she said.

Christensen says a top issue for the Iowa Judicial Branch is getting more attorneys who are willing to represent clients who can’t afford their own attorney. She says the state has only half the number of contracted attorneys to do that compared to 10 years ago.

“If a criminal defendant isn’t provided court appointed counsel, critical deadlines may be missed and the case could fall apart, allowing the defendant to avoid prosecution entirely. It’s that plain and simple,” she said.

Christensen says Iowa pays less than every surrounding state. She says judges have been asking attorneys to sign up for contract work, but aren’t having success.

“We’re told it’s little success because the attorneys won’t work at our low state rate when they have clients that can pay a competitive hourly rate,” she said.

Christensen also wants these lawmakers to increase pay for judges.

In Fiscal Year 2023, a state District Court judge made $158,000. Christensen says that’s lower than every state surrounding Iowa and 41st in the nation.

Iowa judges got a 5% raise last year, which Christensen says was the largest raise state judges have received in the past 16 years.

Christensen says the number of people applying for a judgeship has dropped 56% in the past 20 years. She believes pay for judges is part of the problem.

“We risk attracting a pool of applicants who may not have the qualifications or the proper temperament to serve effectively. This could lead to rulings that are inconsistent or poorly grounded in the law, which ultimately undermines the confidence in our courts,” she said.

Christensen wants the legislature to raise the salaries about $27,000 over the next four years. Kansas used a similar method and increased their judicial pay ranking from 51st in the nation to 29th.

Christensen did not address the Judicial Branch computer error that sent $27.5 million in court fees to the wrong accounts over a five year period in her speech.

Judicial Branch officials previously said that the problem has been corrected.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV on X/Twitter @ConnerReports, and on TikTok @ConnerReports.

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Iowa

Reynolds orders flags lowered for funeral of Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett

Published

6 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Reynolds orders flags lowered for funeral of Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett

DES Moines, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff Saturday in honor of state Sen. Julian Garrett, who died June 8 at the age of 85.

Flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset June 20, the day of Garrett’s funeral, on the Iowa Capitol Building and across the Capitol Complex. The order also applies to all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state.

Garrett served 16 years in the Iowa Legislature, first representing House District 55 from 2011 to 2013 before serving in the Iowa Senate through the 2026 legislative session.

In addition to his legislative service, Garrett was a farmer, attorney and former employee of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

“Sen. Garrett was a friend who served our state with integrity — whether as a cattle producer, a Little League coach, an attorney in the executive branch, or a legislator,” Reynolds said in a statement. “For 15 years, we worked together to unleash opportunities for the Iowans we served, and his impact will be felt for generations to come.”

Reynolds is encouraging individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government entities to lower their flags to half-staff during the same time period as a sign of respect.

Garrett represented southwest Iowa in the Legislature and was known for his work on judiciary and agriculture-related issues during his tenure at the Statehouse.

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Iowa

Iowa man injured in 3-vehicle crash on I-35 near Albert Lea

Published

17 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Iowa man injured in 3-vehicle crash on I-35 near Albert Lea

An Iowa man was injured Thursday afternoon after three vehicles traveling northbound on Interstate 35 collided near Albert Lea.

Thomas Gene Anderson, 34, of Winnebago, Iowa, was taken by Mayo Ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for non-life threatening injuries, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Anderson was listed as the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.

The report states the Blazer and a 2020 Nissan Rogue, driven by Brenda Sue Bangs, 52, of Glenville, and a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by Lisa Ann Bettin, 64, of Altoona, Iowa, were all northbound on I-35 near milepost 10 when the vehicles collided at 3:49 p.m.

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Iowa

Iowa High School Baseball Stats: Leaders On The Diamond This Summer

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Iowa High School Baseball Stats: Leaders On The Diamond This Summer

As we work through the month of June, things are starting to heat up on the diamond around Iowa high school baseball.

With the start of postseason play just around the corner in July, teams are working to get prepared for the stretch run.

High School On SI Iowa has a Top 25 state power ranking while the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association releases weekly class-by-class rankings.

Here are leaders as of June 17, 2026 for several major hitting and pitching categories. Stats are from those uploaded to the Bound website.