House Joint Resolution 2 - Introduced
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
BY GRANZOW, LENSING, WINCKLER, MILLER,
MAY, D. TAYLOR, SMITH, DE BOEF,
SHOULTZ, WATTS, S. OLSON, BERRY,
GASKILL, T. TAYLOR, JONES, TJEPKES,
DRAKE, WILDERDYKE, ELGIN, ROBERTS,
HEDDENS, JACOBY, TOMENGA, LUKAN,
RASMUSSEN, VAN ENGELENHOVEN, ARNOLD,
HUSEMAN, and LALK
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
1 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of
2 the State of Iowa to change the length of term of office for
3 members of the Iowa House of Representatives from two years to
4 four years.
5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
6 TLSB 1794HH 81
7 sc/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
1 2 the State of Iowa is proposed:
1 3 1. Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the
1 4 State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu
1 5 thereof:
1 6 REPRESENTATIVES. SEC. 3. The members of the House of
1 7 Representatives shall be chosen by the qualified electors of
1 8 their respective districts, and their term of office shall
1 9 commence on the first day of January following their election
1 10 which is not a Sunday or legal holiday, and continue four
1 11 years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
1 12 Representatives shall be classified by statute so that as
1 13 nearly as possible one=half of the members of the House of
1 14 Representatives shall be elected every two years. The state
1 15 shall be divided into senatorial and representative districts
1 16 so that each senate district is composed of two house of
1 17 representatives districts. The election for a senate district
1 18 shall not be held in the same year as the election for the two
1 19 house of representatives districts composing the senate
1 20 district, except as otherwise required pursuant to section 35.
1 21 The General Assembly shall make such changes in the law
1 22 governing the time of election and terms of office of
1 23 Representatives as shall be necessary to make the time of
1 24 their election and terms of office conform to this section.
1 25 2. Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of the
1 26 State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 4 of the
1 27 Amendments of 1868, amendment number 2 of the Amendments of
1 28 1904, and amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 1968, is
1 29 repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof:
1 30 SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES == NUMBER AND DISTRICTS. SEC.
1 31 35. The General Assembly shall in each year immediately
1 32 following the United States decennial census determine the
1 33 number of Senators and Representatives to be elected to the
1 34 General Assembly and establish senatorial and representative
1 35 districts. The General Assembly shall complete the
2 1 apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required.
2 2 If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 15
2 3 of such year, the Supreme Court shall cause the State to be
2 4 apportioned into senatorial and representative districts to
2 5 comply with the requirements of the Constitution prior to
2 6 December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall,
2 7 where necessary in establishing senatorial and representative
2 8 districts, shorten the term of any Senator or Representative
2 9 prior to completion of the term. Any Senator or
2 10 Representative whose term is so terminated shall not be
2 11 compensated for the uncompleted part of the term.
2 12 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing proposed
2 13 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred
2 14 to the General Assembly to be chosen at the next general
2 15 election for members of the General Assembly and the Secretary
2 16 of State is directed to cause it to be published for three
2 17 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as
2 18 provided by law.
2 19 EXPLANATION
2 20 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the
2 21 Constitution of the State of Iowa to change the term of office
2 22 for members of the Iowa house of representatives from two
2 23 years to four years. The amendment also provides that each
2 24 senatorial district shall be made up of two house of
2 25 representatives districts and the election for the two house
2 26 districts shall not be held in the same year as the election
2 27 for the senate district unless redistricting shortens the
2 28 terms of some members of certain senate or house districts.
2 29 The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next
2 30 general assembly for adoption a second time before being
2 31 submitted to the electorate for ratification.
2 32 LSB 1794HH 81
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