Newly Elected Iowa Republican Representatives Draft Articles Of Impeachment To Remove Four Remaining State Supreme Court Justices Who Struck Down Anti-Gay Marriage Ban, Belmont University Faculty Senate Passes Resolutions Calling For Protection Against Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation, Neil Patrick Harris Attacks Eric Braeden Who Fights Back And Wins

Three Republican newly-elected Iowa state representatives are drafting legislation that they hope will impeach four state Supreme Court justices who participating in striking down the state’s ban on same sex marriage, reports Reuters, a little more than one month after three other justices who also joined in the unanimous ruling were voted off the court in mid-term elections. The three – Tom Shaw of Laurens, Glen Massie of Des Moines, and Kim Pearson of Pleasant Hill – are drafting articles of impeachment, Shaw saying that they are taking the action because they heard during the election campaign from voters angry at the court’s decision that legalised gay marriage in the spring of 2009. Under the Iowa Constitution, a justice may be impeached for any misdemeanour or malfeasance in office. Impeaching a justice requires a vote in the House, a trial in the Senate and then two-thirds of the state's senators would have to vote to impeach the justice. State Senate Democratic leader Mike Gronstal said if Republicans have discovered evidence that any justices have committed impeachable acts, "bring the evidence forth." In the meantime, Gronstal said he and "every other Senate Democrat will stay focused on creating jobs and improving Iowa's economy." Ben Stone, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the trio’s push for impeachment is ‘truly shocking.”

The Tennessean reports that Friday evening, in a closed-door session, the Belmont University faculty senate passed two resolutions calling for sexual orientation to be added to the campus’ non-discrimination policy and calling for the faculty, student, and staff handbooks to include language that expressly prohibits harassment based on sexual orientation. The vote arrives after the school’s women’s soccer coach, Lisa Howe, left the Nashville, Tennessee-based Christian university after she outed herself telling administrators and team players that she and her same sex partner, former assistant Belmont soccer coach Wendy Holleman, are expecting a child this spring. The senate will formally adopt the resolution January 10th.

According to an earlier Hollywood Reporter item, The Young and Restless actor Eric Braeden was admonished by Neil Patrick Harris for pulling out of a How I Met Your Mother guest starring role at the last moment, Patrick taking to Twitter (itself an act that has generally grown predictable and tiresome) posting that “Eric Braden is a D-Bag. The actor, (Robin’s dad) agreed to a cameo, and then last night bailed, saying the part wasn’t ‘substantial’ enough.” He then added “We’ve recast with Ray Wise, a fantastic actor who makes any part ‘substantial.’ Super excited to welcome him to the family.” Braeden told the Hollywood Reporter late Friday that Harris “needs to be spanked” and that he could “get his teeth knocked in for that kind of nonsense. It’s utterly inappropriate. He’s a little boy,” adding that he would not administer said spankings or beating to Harris, because Braeden said “I need a worthy adversary. I don’t know even know who this fellow is.” Harris did apologise, posting that “Now I feel bad for the D-Bag comment. Don’t know the guy personally. I’m just fiercely protective of our show.” Braeden confirms he dropped out of the show because he was “exhausted” due to work on the daytime drama coupled with recent hip surgery, and because the appearance on How I Met Your Mother required only two lines, which he found out at the last moment. “Two lines, I don’t do that for anyone, said Braeden, who added that “I don’t have a Twitter thing, but you have to be careful in this world.”