HJR 2002 (LSB 5029YH (3) 91)

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2002

BY  GEARHART

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa altering the terms of service for members of the house of representatives.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  The following amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is proposed:
   1.  Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof:
   Sec. 3.  Representatives —— classification.  The members of the house of representatives shall be chosen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year by the qualified electors of their respective districts, and their term of office shall commence on the first day of January next after their election, and continue four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. Members of the house of representatives shall be classified so that as nearly as possible one-half of the members of the house of representatives shall be elected every two years, and each member of the house of representatives elected concurrently with the adoption of this amendment or serving at the time of the adoption of this amendment shall be so classified. Members representing odd-numbered districts shall constitute the first class, and members representing even-numbered districts shall constitute the second class. For those members of the house of representatives elected concurrently with the adoption of this amendment or serving at the time of the adoption of this amendment, those members of the house of representatives in the first class shall serve for two years following the first day of January next after the adoption of this amendment, and those in the second class shall serve for four years following the first day of January next after the adoption of this amendment.
   2.  Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of the State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 4 of the Amendments of 1868, amendment number 2 of the Amendments of 1904, and amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 1968, is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof:
   Sec. 35.  Senators and representatives —— number and districts.  The general assembly shall in each year immediately following the United States decennial census determine the number of senators and representatives to be elected to the general assembly and establish senatorial and representative districts. The general assembly shall complete the apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required. If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 15 of such year, the supreme court shall cause the state to be apportioned into senatorial and representative districts to comply with the requirements of the Constitution prior to December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall, where necessary in establishing senatorial and representative districts, shorten the term of any senator or representative prior to completion of the term. Any senator or representative whose term is so terminated shall not be compensated for the uncompleted part of the term.
    Sec. 2.
  REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION.
  The foregoing proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general election for members of the general assembly, and shall be published as provided by law for three months previous to the date of that election.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to terms of office for members of the house of representatives.
   The amendment changes the terms of office for members of the house of representatives to four years, with members to be elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year, with one-half of all members to be elected every two years. The amendment provides that each member of the house of representatives who is serving at the time of adoption of the amendment or elected concurrently with the adoption of the amendment will be divided into two classes. The first class consists of members representing odd-numbered districts, and the second class consists of members representing even-numbered districts. Members in the first class shall serve for two years and members in the second class shall serve for four years.
   The joint resolution also states that the reapportioning authority shall have the authority to shorten the term of office of any senator or representative following redistricting as necessary in establishing senatorial and representative districts.
   The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then referred to in the next general assembly for adoption, before being submitted to the electorate for ratification.