Every year lawmakers have to work on standard business items like the budget, but each Senator or Representative often has an issue or two that they’re personally passionate about and want to see passed during the session.

State Representative Ralph Watts says he’s working on one in regards to the requirements for judges.

“It’s called American Laws for American Courts and it would put in code the requirement that judges would always consider their ruling based on the constitution of the state of Iowa or the U.S.  There has been some indication in the past that some of our past Federal Supreme Court Justices have considered and talked about laws in other jurisdictions like British law and I think that’s an issue that’s a concern of me and other people” says Watts.

Watts says the overall goal of the bill is to make sure judges are living up to the oath they have taken to follow the constitution of the United States and Iowa, just like he and other lawmakers have.