House Joint Resolution 2002 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2002 BY WHEELER HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 1 of the State of Iowa relating to the terms of supreme court 2 justices. 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5172YH (3) 87 jm/rj
H.J.R. 2002 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 1 the State of Iowa is proposed: 2 1. Section 17 of Article V of the Constitution of the 3 State of Iowa, as added by the Amendment of 1962, is amended 4 beginning with appointments made on or after January 1, 2021, 5 to read as follows: 6 Terms —— judicial elections. SEC. 17. Members of all courts 7 shall have such tenure in office as may be fixed by law, but 8 terms of supreme court judges shall be not less than eight 9 four years and terms of district court judges shall be not 10 less than six years. Judges shall serve for one year after 11 appointment and until the first day of January following the 12 next judicial election after the expiration of such year. 13 They shall at such judicial election stand for retention in 14 office on a separate ballot which shall submit the question of 15 whether such judge shall be retained in office for the tenure 16 prescribed for such office and when such tenure is a term of 17 years, on their request, they shall, at the judicial election 18 next before the end of each term, stand again for retention on 19 such ballot. Present supreme court and district court judges, 20 at the expiration of their respective terms, may be retained in 21 office in like the manner for the tenure prescribed for such 22 office. The general assembly shall prescribe the time for 23 holding judicial elections. 24 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing proposed 25 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred 26 to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general 27 election for members of the general assembly, and the secretary 28 of state is directed to cause the proposed amendment to be 29 published for three consecutive months previous to the date of 30 that election as provided by law. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the 35 -1- LSB 5172YH (3) 87 jm/rj 1/ 2
H.J.R. 2002 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the terms of 1 supreme court justices. 2 The resolution modifies the term of a supreme court justice 3 from not less than eight years to not less than four years, 4 beginning January 1, 2021. The initial term of a supreme court 5 justice shall be for one year after appointment and until 6 January 1 following the next judicial election. After standing 7 for retention for the initial term, the supreme court justice 8 shall stand for retention before the electorate every four 9 years. 10 The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then 11 referred to the next general assembly (88th) for adoption, 12 before being submitted to the electorate for ratification. 13 -2- LSB 5172YH (3) 87 jm/rj 2/ 2