House
Joint
Resolution
12
-
Introduced
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
12
BY
ALONS
,
LANDON
,
HEARTSILL
,
SALMON
,
KOESTER
,
and
PETTENGILL
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
A
Joint
Resolution
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
1
of
the
State
of
Iowa
to
specify
that
the
right
to
life
is
2
the
paramount
and
most
fundamental
right
of
every
person,
3
and
that
personhood
applies
to
all
human
beings
from
the
4
beginning
of
their
biological
development.
5
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
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12
Section
1.
The
following
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
1
the
State
of
Iowa
is
proposed:
2
Section
1
of
Article
I
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
3
Iowa,
as
amended
by
amendment
number
1
of
the
Amendments
of
4
1998,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
5
Rights
of
persons.
SECTION
1.
6
1.
All
men
and
women
are,
by
nature,
free
and
equal,
and
7
have
certain
inalienable
rights
——
among
which
are
those
of
8
enjoying
and
defending
life
and
liberty,
acquiring,
possessing
9
and
protecting
property,
and
pursuing
and
obtaining
safety
and
10
happiness.
11
2.
The
right
to
life
is
the
paramount
and
most
fundamental
12
right
of
every
person.
13
3.
With
respect
to
the
fundamental
and
inalienable
rights
14
of
all
persons
guaranteed
in
this
constitution,
the
word
15
“person”
applies
to
all
human
beings,
irrespective
of
age,
16
health,
function,
physical
or
mental
dependency,
or
method
of
17
reproduction,
whether
in
vivo
or
in
vitro,
from
the
beginning
18
of
their
biological
development,
including
the
single-cell
19
human
zygote.
20
Sec.
2.
REFERRAL
AND
PUBLICATION.
The
foregoing
proposed
21
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
is
referred
22
to
the
general
assembly
to
be
chosen
at
the
next
general
23
election
for
members
of
the
general
assembly,
and
the
secretary
24
of
state
is
directed
to
cause
the
proposed
amendment
to
be
25
published
for
three
consecutive
months
previous
to
the
date
of
26
that
election
as
provided
by
law.
27
EXPLANATION
28
This
joint
resolution
proposes
an
amendment
to
the
29
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
specifying
that
the
30
right
to
life
is
the
paramount
and
most
fundamental
right
31
of
every
person,
and
that
with
respect
to
the
fundamental
32
and
inalienable
rights
of
all
persons
guaranteed
in
the
33
constitution,
the
word
“person”
applies
to
all
human
beings,
34
irrespective
of
age,
health,
function,
physical
or
mental
35
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H.J.R.
12
dependency,
or
method
of
reproduction,
whether
in
vivo
or
in
1
vitro,
from
the
beginning
of
their
biological
development,
2
including
the
single-cell
human
zygote.
3
The
resolution,
if
adopted,
would
be
referred
to
the
next
4
general
assembly
for
adoption,
before
being
submitted
to
the
5
electorate
for
ratification.
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