Senate Joint Resolution 12 - Introduced SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12 BY WHITING , ZAUN , DAWSON , SHIPLEY , and GUTH SENA TE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution calling for an Article V convention in order 1 to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United 2 States that impose fiscal restraints, limit the power and 3 jurisdiction of the federal government, and impose limits on 4 the number of terms that a person may serve in Congress, and 5 requesting Congress to similarly propose such amendments. 6 WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United 7 States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty 8 against future abuses of power by the federal government; and 9 WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing 10 national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and 11 WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate 12 roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal 13 mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and 14 WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under 15 a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United 16 States; and 17 WHEREAS, the average length of service in Congress continues 18 to rise which creates a detachment between the members and 19 their constituents, making the American people feel they are no 20 longer being listened to; and 21 WHEREAS, open-seat elections will allow for more people to 22 participate in the government from a variety of backgrounds 23 providing better representation and more options for the voters 24 on the ballots; and 25 WHEREAS, the General Assembly of Iowa, a body of citizen 26 legislators, desires to restore rotation in office for members 27 serving in the Congress of the United States; and 28 WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect 29 the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations 30 TLSB 2580XS (2) 89 ss/jh

Senate Joint Resolution 12 - Introduced to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the 31 United States through a convention of the states under Article 32 V of the Constitution of the United States for the purpose of 33 restraining abuses of power and restoring rotation in office 34 for members serving in the Congress of the United States; NOW 35 THEREFORE, 36 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 37 TLSB 2580XS (2) 89 ss/jh

S.J.R. 12 That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned 1 to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States, 2 for submission to the states for ratification, to impose fiscal 3 restraints on the federal government, to limit the federal 4 government’s power and jurisdiction, and to limit the number 5 of terms that a person may be elected as a member of the United 6 States house of representatives and to set a limit on the 7 number of terms that a person may be elected as a member of the 8 United States senate; and 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, pursuant to Article V of the 10 Constitution of the United States, the General Assembly, as the 11 legislature of the state of Iowa, joins in the applications of 12 the states of Georgia (SR 736, 2014), Florida (SM 476, 2014), 13 Alaska (HJR 22, 2014), Alabama (HJR 112, 2015), Tennessee 14 (SJR 67, 2016), Indiana (SJR 14, 2016), Oklahoma (SJR 4, 15 2016), Louisiana (SCR 52, 2016), Arizona (HCR 2010, 2017), 16 North Dakota (HCR 3006, 2017), Texas (SJR 2, 2017), Missouri 17 (SCR 4, 2017), Arkansas (SJR 3, 2019), Utah (SJR 9, 2019), 18 and Mississippi (SCR 596, 2019), for a convention for the 19 specific and exclusive purpose of proposing amendments to the 20 Constitution of the United States limited to the purposes 21 stated therein, provided, however, that the delegates from 22 Iowa to said convention are expressly limited to consideration 23 and support of amendments that impose fiscal restraints on 24 the federal government, amendments that limit the power and 25 jurisdiction of the federal government, and amendments that 26 impose limits on the number of terms that a person may serve 27 in the Congress of the United States, and no amendments on any 28 other topic; and 29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is the express intention of 30 the General Assembly that this application shall be aggregated 31 with the prior and subsequent applications of other states 32 limited to the purposes identified in this application; and 33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes 34 a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the 35 -1- LSB 2580XS (2) 89 ss/jh 1/ 3

S.J.R. 12 Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at 1 least two-thirds of the several states have made applications 2 for a similar convention under Article V, or the General 3 Assembly resolves to withdraw this application; and 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall 5 transmit certified copies of this resolution to the President 6 and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and 7 Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the 8 presiding officer of each house of the legislature of each of 9 the several states, and to each member of Iowa’s congressional 10 delegation. 11 EXPLANATION 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 13 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 14 This joint resolution constitutes an application requesting 15 the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention 16 in order to propose amendments to the Constitution of the 17 United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal 18 government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal 19 government, and impose limits on the number of terms that 20 a person may serve in the Congress of the United States. 21 The resolution stipulates that Iowa’s delegates to such a 22 convention are expressly limited to consideration and support 23 of amendments on those topics. The resolution constitutes a 24 continuing application to call a constitutional convention 25 and states the intention of the General Assembly that the 26 application be aggregated with the prior and subsequent 27 applications of other states limited to the purposes identified 28 in the resolution. 29 The resolution also petitions the Congress of the United 30 States to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the 31 United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal 32 government, limit the federal government’s power and 33 jurisdiction, and impose limits on the number of terms that a 34 person may serve in the Congress of the United States. 35 -2- LSB 2580XS (2) 89 ss/jh 2/ 3

S.J.R. 12 The resolution requires the Secretary of State to transmit 1 certified copies of this resolution to the President and 2 Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk 3 of the United States House of Representatives, the presiding 4 officer of each house of the legislature of each state, and to 5 the members of Iowa’s congressional delegation. 6 -3- LSB 2580XS (2) 89 ss/jh 3/ 3