Iowa News

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services could face a much higher legal bill than the $5 billion sought by the federal government as more and more states join the battle against the credit-ratings firm. A raft of lawsuits this week from attorneys general from several states, including California and Iowa, is compounding S&P's legal woes over its role during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

During President Obama’s first term, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved 160 judicial nominees, more than the previous four years under George Bush, said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member of that committee.

After all the questions Toyota has endured about the sudden unintended acceleration of its vehicles, including those it fielded at some very high-profile congressional hearings, probably the last person it expected to ask more was Senator Charles “Chuck” Grassley of Iowa, ranking Republican on the judiciary committee.

The Iowa Legislature has unanimously passed a measure designed to improve the state's process of hiring outside lawyers.  The House passed House File 563 on Monday, 96-0.

Key lawmakers said Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady made a strong case Wednesday for putting more money into the court system.

Senator Charles Grassley is pressing Attorney General Eric Holder for details on guidance on a foreign bribery law the Department of Justice is set to release next year.  In a series of written questions, Grassley asked Holder whether forthcoming guidance on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act would address concerns raised by the business community about the law’s enforcement, which, they argue, puts U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage. The undated questionnaire was sent this week.

A year after the start of a nationwide investigation of foreclosure practices, state and federal negotiators haven’t settled with banks and face infighting that might leave some states outside any agreement.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced H.R. 966 to amend Fed.R.Civ.P. 11 in an attempt to reduce frivolous lawsuits. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) then introduced its Senate companion bill, S. 533. Mr. Smith stated that lawsuit abuse has become too common in American society partly because the lawyers who bring these cases have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who is leading foreclosure settlement negotiations with the nation's largest banks on behalf of all 50 states, abruptly removed New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman from the coalition's executive committee Tuesday, saying he had "actively worked to undermine" the group's efforts in recent months.

The Supreme Court appeared deeply skeptical Tuesday about allowing states to sue electric utilities to force cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Both conservative and liberal justices questioned whether a federal judge could deal with the complex issue of global warming, a topic they suggested is better left to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency.