House Joint Resolution 2002 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2002 BY GEARHART HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 1 of the State of Iowa altering the terms of service for 2 members of the house of representatives. 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5029YH (3) 91 mb/jh

H.J.R. 2002 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 1 the State of Iowa is proposed: 2 1. Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 3 of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 4 Sec. 3. Representatives —— classification. The members 5 of the house of representatives shall be chosen on the 6 first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each 7 even-numbered year by the qualified electors of their 8 respective districts, and their term of office shall commence 9 on the first day of January next after their election, and 10 continue four years, and until their successors are elected 11 and qualified. Members of the house of representatives shall 12 be classified so that as nearly as possible one-half of the 13 members of the house of representatives shall be elected every 14 two years, and each member of the house of representatives 15 elected concurrently with the adoption of this amendment or 16 serving at the time of the adoption of this amendment shall be 17 so classified. Members representing odd-numbered districts 18 shall constitute the first class, and members representing 19 even-numbered districts shall constitute the second class. 20 For those members of the house of representatives elected 21 concurrently with the adoption of this amendment or serving at 22 the time of the adoption of this amendment, those members of 23 the house of representatives in the first class shall serve for 24 two years following the first day of January next after the 25 adoption of this amendment, and those in the second class shall 26 serve for four years following the first day of January next 27 after the adoption of this amendment. 28 2. Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of 29 the State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 4 of the 30 Amendments of 1868, amendment number 2 of the Amendments of 31 1904, and amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 1968, is 32 repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 33 Sec. 35. Senators and representatives —— number and 34 districts. The general assembly shall in each year immediately 35 -1- LSB 5029YH (3) 91 mb/jh 1/ 3

H.J.R. 2002 following the United States decennial census determine the 1 number of senators and representatives to be elected to the 2 general assembly and establish senatorial and representative 3 districts. The general assembly shall complete the 4 apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required. 5 If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 6 15 of such year, the supreme court shall cause the state to 7 be apportioned into senatorial and representative districts 8 to comply with the requirements of the Constitution prior to 9 December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall, 10 where necessary in establishing senatorial and representative 11 districts, shorten the term of any senator or representative 12 prior to completion of the term. Any senator or representative 13 whose term is so terminated shall not be compensated for the 14 uncompleted part of the term. 15 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing proposed 16 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred 17 to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general 18 election for members of the general assembly, and shall be 19 published as provided by law for three months previous to the 20 date of that election. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the 25 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to terms of office 26 for members of the house of representatives. 27 The amendment changes the terms of office for members of 28 the house of representatives to four years, with members to be 29 elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 30 of each even-numbered year, with one-half of all members to 31 be elected every two years. The amendment provides that each 32 member of the house of representatives who is serving at the 33 time of adoption of the amendment or elected concurrently 34 with the adoption of the amendment will be divided into two 35 -2- LSB 5029YH (3) 91 mb/jh 2/ 3

H.J.R. 2002 classes. The first class consists of members representing 1 odd-numbered districts, and the second class consists of 2 members representing even-numbered districts. Members in the 3 first class shall serve for two years and members in the second 4 class shall serve for four years. 5 The joint resolution also states that the reapportioning 6 authority shall have the authority to shorten the term of 7 office of any senator or representative following redistricting 8 as necessary in establishing senatorial and representative 9 districts. 10 The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then 11 referred to in the next general assembly for adoption, before 12 being submitted to the electorate for ratification. 13 -3- LSB 5029YH (3) 91 mb/jh 3/ 3