Iowa Supreme Court takes a right turn under Gov. Reynolds

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Kim Reynolds is transforming the Iowa Supreme Court from one that leaned left to a solidly conservative body, prompting concerns that it could erode past rulings on social issues.

Reynolds already has made two appointments to the seven-member court, which now has a 5-2 Republican majority, and will get a third before here term ends in 2022 because of a mandatory retirement age of 72 for judges. If she runs and wins a second term, she will complete the conservative transformation.

It marks a stark contrast from the recent past, when an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in 2009 made it the third state in the nation to pave the way for same-sex marriage. As recently as 2018, the court established a fundamental right to abortion under the Iowa constitution.