Iowa English-Only Law

League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa v. Pate

Filed: October 27, 2021

Lawsuit filed on behalf of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Iowa challenging the state’s failure to provide non-English election materials, specifically Spanish language materials, to voters with limited English proficiency. The suit challenges Iowa’s “English-only Law,” which which mandates that all political documents from the state “shall be in the English language” unless translated materials are “necessary to secure the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America or the Constitution of the State of Iowa.” LULAC argues that translating voting materials for Iowans with limited English proficiency falls under this exception and the court should declare that all voting materials can be translated. The lawsuit also asks the court to dissolve a previous injunction that prohibits the secretary of state from providing non-English voter registration forms. The secretary cited this injunction in response to a petition for declaratory order submitted in July asking for clarification around the English-only law as it applies to election materials.

Case Documents

Read the petitioners' reply in support of motion for summary judgment here.

Read the respondents' reply in support of motion for summary judgment here.

Read the respondents' resistance to petitioner's motion for summary judgment here.

Read the petitioner's supplement to petitioner's resistance to respondents' previous motion for summary judgment here.

Read the petitioner's brief in opposition to respondents' motion for summary judgment and in support of proposed cross-motion here.

Read the petitioner's statement of undisputed material facts here.

Read the petitioner's brief in support of motion for summary judgment here.

Read the petitioner's motion for summary judgment here.

Read the order continuing trial and setting new summary judgment deadlines here.

Read the petitioner's response to respondents' statement of undisputed material facts here.

Read the petitioner's proposed cross-motion for summary judgment here.

Read the petitioner's response to respondents' statement of undisputed material facts and statement of additional undisputed material facts here.

Read the respondents' statement of undisputed material facts here.

Read the respondents' brief in support motion for summary judgment here.

Read the respondents' motion for summary judgment here.

Read the respondents' amended answer and affirmative defenses here.

Read the ruling granting the motion to reconsider here.

Read the resistance to the petitioner's motion to reconsider here.

Read the petitioners' motion to reconsider here.

Read the respondents' answer and affirmative defenses here.

Read the order denying the motion to dismiss in part here.

Read the petitioners' resistance to the respondents' motion to dismiss the amended petition here.

Read the defendants' reply in support of their motion to dismiss here.

Read the petitioners' resistance to the defendants' motion to dismiss here.

Read the amended petition here.

Read the respondents' memorandum and exhibits in support of their motion to dismiss here.

Read the respondents' motion to dismiss here.

Read the petition here.

Last updated: March 2, 2023 11:42 am EST