Senate Joint Resolution 2003 - Introduced
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
BY MULDER
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
SENATE 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 and
3 to limit the terms of office for members of the Senate and
4 House of Representatives.
5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
6 TLSB 5871SS 81
7 sc/je/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1 4 State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu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. A person
1 15 shall not be elected as a Representative more than three
1 16 consecutive times. If a person is elected or appointed to
1 17 serve a portion of a term to which some other person was
1 18 elected or appointed but that person died in office or
1 19 resigned from office or was otherwise removed from office,
1 20 those years served shall not be included in the terms of
1 21 office.
1 22 The phase=in of the four=year term shall only apply to
1 23 terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The
1 24 limitation on the number of terms shall only apply to
1 25 Representatives elected for the first time as a Representative
1 26 for a term of office beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
1 27 The General Assembly shall make such changes in the law
1 28 governing the year of election and terms of office of
1 29 Representatives as shall be necessary to make the year of
1 30 their election and terms of office conform to this amendment.
1 31 2. Section 5 of Article III of the Constitution of the
1 32 State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu
1 33 thereof:
1 34 SENATORS == QUALIFICATIONS. SEC. 5. Senators shall be
1 35 chosen for a term of six years, at the same time and place as
2 1 Representatives; they shall be twenty=five years of age, and
2 2 possess the qualifications of Representatives as to residence
2 3 and citizenship. A person shall not be elected as a Senator
2 4 more than two consecutive times. If a person who is elected
2 5 or appointed to serve a portion of a term to which some other
2 6 person was elected or appointed but that person died in office
2 7 or resigned from office or was otherwise removed from office,
2 8 those years served shall not be included in the terms of
2 9 office.
2 10 The phase=in of the six=year term shall only apply to terms
2 11 of office beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The
2 12 limitation on the number of terms shall only apply to Senators
2 13 elected for the first time as a Senator for a term of office
2 14 beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The General Assembly
2 15 shall make such changes in the law governing the year of
2 16 election and terms of office of Senators as shall be necessary
2 17 to make the year of their election and terms of office conform
2 18 to this amendment.
2 19 3. Section 6 of Article III of the Constitution of the
2 20 State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 3 of the
2 21 Amendments of 1968, is repealed and the following adopted in
2 22 lieu thereof:
2 23 SENATORS == NUMBER AND CLASSIFICATION. SEC. 6. The number
2 24 of Senators shall total not more than one=half the membership
2 25 of the House of Representatives. Senators shall be classified
2 26 by statute so that as nearly as possible one=third of the
2 27 members of the Senate shall be elected every two years.
2 28 4. Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of the
2 29 State of Iowa, as amended by the fourth strike amendment of
2 30 the Amendments of 1868, by amendment number 2 of the
2 31 Amendments of 1904, and by amendment number 3 of the
2 32 Amendments of 1968, is repealed and the following adopted in
2 33 lieu thereof:
2 34 SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES == NUMBER AND DISTRICTS. SEC.
2 35 35. The General Assembly shall in each year immediately
3 1 following the United States decennial census determine the
3 2 number of Senators and Representatives to be elected to the
3 3 General Assembly and establish Senatorial and Representative
3 4 districts. The General Assembly shall complete the
3 5 apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required.
3 6 If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 15
3 7 of such year, the Supreme Court shall cause the State to be
3 8 apportioned into Senatorial and Representative districts to
3 9 comply with the requirements of the Constitution prior to
3 10 December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall,
3 11 where necessary in establishing Senatorial and Representative
3 12 districts, shorten the term of any Senator or Representative
3 13 prior to completion of the term. Any Senator or
3 14 Representative whose term is so terminated shall not be
3 15 compensated for the uncompleted part of the term.
3 16 Sec. 2. PUBLICATION AND REFERRAL. The foregoing amendment
3 17 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the
3 18 General Assembly to be chosen at the next general election for
3 19 members of the General Assembly and the Secretary of State is
3 20 directed to cause the same to be published for three
3 21 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as
3 22 provided by law.
3 23 EXPLANATION
3 24 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the
3 25 Constitution of the State of Iowa to change the term of office
3 26 of members of the Iowa house of representatives to four years
3 27 and the term of office of members of the Iowa senate to six
3 28 years. The resolution also provides that members of the Iowa
3 29 house of representatives shall not be elected more than three
3 30 consecutive times, and members of the Iowa senate shall not be
3 31 elected more than two consecutive times. The phase=in of the
3 32 four=year and six=year terms shall only apply to terms of
3 33 office beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The limitation
3 34 on the number of terms shall only apply to representatives or
3 35 senators elected for the first time as a representative or as
4 1 a senator for a term of office beginning on or after January
4 2 1, 2011.
4 3 The joint resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the
4 4 next general assembly before being submitted to the electorate
4 5 for ratification.
4 6 LSB 5871SS 81
4 7 sc:rj/je/5