Bill Text: IA HJR2009 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A joint resolution calling for an Article V convention in order to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States relating to free and fair elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-31 - Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 583. [HJR2009 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HJR2009-Introduced.html
House Joint Resolution 2009 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION BY KELLEY, BENNETT, STUTSMAN, STECKMAN, PRICHARD, WOLFE, ANDERSON, GAINES, DAWSON, BROWN=POWERS, HANSON, OLSON, JACOBY, HEDDENS, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, KRESSIG, KEARNS, THEDE, and MEYER HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1 A Joint Resolution calling for an Article V convention in order 2 to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United 3 States relating to free and fair elections. 4 WHEREAS, George Washington, the first President of the 5 United States, stated that the "basis of our political 6 systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their 7 constitutions of government"; and 8 WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of 9 the Constitution of the United States that the Congress of 10 the United States should be "dependent on the people alone". 11 (James Madison, Federalist 52); and 12 WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on 13 the people alone to a dependency on those who spend excessively 14 in elections through campaigns or third=party groups; and 15 WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States ruling 16 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 17 310 (2010), removed restrictions on amounts of independent 18 political spending; and 19 WHEREAS, the removal of those restrictions has resulted in 20 the unjust influence of powerful economic forces in United 21 States politics, which have supplanted the will of the people 22 by undermining the people's ability to choose the people's 23 own political leadership, write the people's own laws, and 24 determine the fate of the state; and 25 WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 26 requires the Congress of the United States to call a convention 27 for proposing amendments upon application of two=thirds of the 28 legislatures of the several states for the purpose of proposing 29 amendments to the Constitution of the United States; and 30 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa recognizes the need for a 31 convention to propose an amendment in order to address concerns 32 such as those raised by the decision of the Supreme Court 33 of the United States in Citizens United v. Federal Election 34 Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), and related cases and events 35 including those occurring long before or afterward or for a 36 substantially similar purpose; and 37 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa desires that the delegates to 38 said convention shall be comprised equally from individuals 39 currently elected to state and local office, or be selected 40 by election in each congressional district for the purpose 41 of serving as delegates, though all individuals elected or 42 appointed to federal office, now or in the past, be prohibited 43 from serving as delegates to the Convention, and intends to 44 retain the ability to restrict or expand the power of its 45 delegates; NOW THEREFORE, 46 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5389YH (12) 86 aw/rj PAG LIN 1 1 That the State of Iowa, speaking through the general 1 2 assembly, makes application to the Congress of the United 1 3 States for a convention to be called pursuant to Article V of 1 4 the Constitution of the United States to propose amendments 1 5 to the Constitution of the United States for the exclusive 1 6 purpose of protecting free and fair elections in the United 1 7 States by removing the corrupting influence of money in our 1 8 electoral process and addressing, among other things, concerns 1 9 raised by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United 1 10 States in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 1 11 558 U.S. 310 (2010), and related cases, as soon as two=thirds 1 12 of the legislatures of the several states have made similar 1 13 applications on the same issue. 1 14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall 1 15 transmit certified copies of this Joint Resolution, to the 1 16 President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker 1 17 of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority 1 18 Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the 1 19 President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the Minority 1 20 Leader of the United States Senate, and each member of the 1 21 Iowa congressional delegation requesting that the full and 1 22 complete text of this application be recorded in the published 1 23 Congressional Record and among the tally of state petitions for 1 24 a convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution 1 25 of the United States, and to the presiding officer of each 1 26 house of each state legislature in the United States requesting 1 27 the cooperation of the states in making application and 1 28 compelling the Congress to call a convention for proposing 1 29 amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the 1 30 United States. 1 31 EXPLANATION 1 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 33 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 34 This joint resolution makes application to the Congress of 1 35 the United States of America for a convention to be called 2 1 under Article V of the Constitution of the United States to 2 2 propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States 2 3 related exclusively to the conduct of elections and addressing 2 4 the United States Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United 2 5 v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010). Article V 2 6 of the Constitution of the United States requires Congress to 2 7 call an Article V convention upon receiving applications from 2 8 two=thirds of the legislatures of the several states. 2 9 The resolution requires that the Secretary of State transmit 2 10 certified copies of the resolution to the President and Vice 2 11 President of the United States, the Speaker of the United 2 12 States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the 2 13 United States House of Representatives, the President Pro 2 14 Tempore of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the 2 15 United States Senate, and each member of the Iowa congressional 2 16 delegation, and to the presiding officer of each house of 2 17 each state legislature in the United States requesting the 2 18 cooperation of the other states in calling a constitutional 2 19 convention. LSB 5389YH (12) 86 aw/rj
