House Joint Resolution 12 - IntroducedA Bill ForA Joint Resolution 1calling for an Article V convention in order
2to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United
3States that impose fiscal restraints, and limit the power
4and jurisdiction of the federal government, and requesting
5Congress to similarly propose such amendments.
6WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United
7States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty
8against future abuses of power by the federal government;and
9WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing
10national debt through improper and imprudent spending;and
11WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate
12roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal
13mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent;and
14WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under
15a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United
16States;and
17WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect
18the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations
19to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the
20United States through a convention of the states under Article
21V of the Constitution of the United States for the purpose of
22restraining these and related abuses of power;NOW THEREFORE,
   23BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
   1That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned
2to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United
3States, for submission to the states for ratification, to
4impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit
5the federal government’s power and jurisdiction; and
   6BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, pursuant to Article V of the
7Constitution of the United States, the General Assembly, as the
8legislature of the state of Iowa, joins in the applications of
9the states of Georgia (SR 736, 2014), Florida (SM 476, 2014),
10Alaska (HJR 22, 2014), Alabama (HJR 112, 2015), Tennessee
11(SJR 67, 2016), Indiana (SJR 14, 2016), Oklahoma (SJR 4,
122016), and Louisiana (SCR 52, 2016), for a convention for the
13specific and exclusive purpose of proposing amendments to the
14Constitution of the United States limited to the purposes
15stated therein, provided, however, that the delegates from
16Iowa to said convention are expressly limited to consideration
17and support of amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the
18federal government, and amendments that limit the power and
19jurisdiction of the federal government, and no amendments on
20any other topic;and
   21BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is the express intention of
22the General Assembly that this application shall be aggregated
23with the prior and subsequent applications of other states
24limited to the purposes identified in this application;and
   25BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
26a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
27Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
28least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
29for a similar convention under Article V, or the General
30Assembly resolves to withdraw this application;and
   31BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall
32transmit certified copies of this resolution to the President
33and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and
34Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the
35presiding officer of each house of the legislature of each of
-1-1the several states, and to each member of Iowa’s congressional
2delegation.
3EXPLANATION
4The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
5the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   6This joint resolution constitutes an application requesting
7the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention
8in order to propose amendments to the Constitution of the
9United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal
10government and limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal
11government. The resolution stipulates that Iowa’s delegates
12to such a convention are expressly limited to consideration
13and support of amendments on those topics. The resolution
14constitutes a continuing application to call a constitutional
15convention and states the intention of the General Assembly
16that the application be aggregated with the prior and
17subsequent applications of other states limited to the purposes
18identified in the resolution.
   19The resolution also petitions the Congress of the United
20States to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the
21United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal
22government and limit the federal government’s power and
23jurisdiction.
   24The resolution requires the Secretary of State to transmit
25certified copies of this resolution to the President and
26Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk
27of the United States House of Representatives, the presiding
28officer of each house of the legislature of each state, and to
29the members of Iowa’s congressional delegation.
-2-
aw/rj