Bill Text: IA HJR8 | 2011-2012 | 84th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the boundary lines of counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-31 - END OF 2011 ACTIONS [HJR8 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2011-HJR8-Introduced.html
House
Joint
Resolution
8
-
Introduced
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
8
BY
HUNTER
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
A
Joint
Resolution
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
1
of
the
State
of
Iowa
relating
to
the
boundary
lines
of
2
counties.
3
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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H.J.R.
8
Section
1.
The
following
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
1
the
State
of
Iowa
is
proposed:
2
1.
Section
30
of
Article
III
of
the
Constitution
of
the
3
State
of
Iowa
is
repealed
and
the
following
adopted
in
lieu
4
thereof:
5
Local
or
special
laws
——
general
and
uniform.
SEC.
30.
The
6
general
assembly
shall
not
pass
local
or
special
laws
in
the
7
following
cases:
8
For
the
assessment
and
collection
of
taxes
for
state,
9
county,
or
road
purposes;
10
For
laying
out,
opening,
and
working
roads
or
highways;
11
For
changing
the
names
of
persons;
12
For
the
incorporation
of
cities
and
towns;
13
For
vacating
roads,
town
plats,
streets,
alleys,
or
public
14
squares;
15
For
locating
or
changing
county
seats.
16
In
all
the
cases
above
enumerated,
and
in
all
other
cases
17
where
a
general
law
can
be
made
applicable,
all
laws
shall
be
18
general,
and
of
uniform
operation
throughout
the
state.
19
2.
Section
2
of
Article
XI
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
20
of
Iowa
is
repealed
and
the
following
adopted
in
lieu
thereof:
21
Counties.
SEC.
2.
On
or
before
July
1,
2017,
the
general
22
assembly
shall
by
law
reduce
the
aggregate
number
of
the
23
several
counties
to
not
more
than
fifty
unless
the
aggregate
24
number
of
counties
has
otherwise
been
reduced
to
not
more
25
than
fifty
prior
to
July
1,
2017.
Such
reduction
shall
be
26
accomplished
by
the
merger,
in
whole
or
in
part,
of
presently
27
existing
counties.
Newly
created
counties
shall
be
composed
of
28
contiguous
territory
and
shall
be
reasonably
compact.
29
The
general
assembly
shall
by
law
name
the
counties
created
30
hereunder
and
shall
by
law
select
the
place
for
the
seat
of
the
31
county
government
for
each
newly
created
county.
The
general
32
assembly
may
by
law
provide
such
newly
created
counties
with
33
authority
to
create
such
offices
of
county
government
within
a
34
county
as
a
county
deems
reasonable
and
necessary.
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H.J.R.
8
In
the
event
the
general
assembly
fails
to
reduce
the
number
1
of
counties,
select
a
county
seat
of
government
for
each
newly
2
created
county,
and
name
each
newly
created
county
as
required
3
herein
by
July
1,
2017,
the
chief
justice
of
the
supreme
court
4
shall
do
so
or
cause
to
have
the
same
done.
5
After
the
reduction
in
the
number
of
counties
has
been
6
effectuated
as
herein
required,
the
number
or
boundaries
of
7
such
newly
created
counties
shall
not
thereafter
be
changed.
8
The
general
assembly
shall
enact
all
laws
necessary
to
9
effectuate
this
section.
10
3.
Section
8
of
Article
XI
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
11
of
Iowa
is
repealed
and
the
following
adopted
in
lieu
thereof:
12
Seat
of
government
established
——
state
university.
SEC.
13
8.
The
seat
of
government
is
hereby
permanently
established,
14
as
now
fixed
by
law,
at
the
city
of
Des
Moines;
and
the
state
15
university,
at
Iowa
City.
16
Sec.
2.
REFERRAL
AND
PUBLICATION.
The
foregoing
amendment
17
to
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
is
referred
to
the
18
general
assembly
to
be
chosen
at
the
next
general
election
19
for
members
of
the
general
assembly,
and
the
secretary
of
20
state
is
directed
to
cause
the
same
to
be
published
for
three
21
consecutive
months
previous
to
the
date
of
that
election
as
22
provided
by
law.
23
EXPLANATION
24
This
joint
resolution
proposes
an
amendment
to
the
25
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
relating
to
the
boundary
26
lines
of
counties.
The
joint
resolution
proposes
new
section
27
2
of
Article
XI,
requiring
the
general
assembly
to
reduce
the
28
aggregate
number
of
counties
to
not
more
than
50
by
statute
on
29
or
before
July
1,
2017,
unless
the
aggregate
number
of
counties
30
has
otherwise
been
reduced
to
not
more
than
50
prior
to
July
31
1,
2017.
The
joint
resolution
allows
such
reduction
to
be
32
accomplished
by
the
merger
in
whole
or
in
part
of
presently
33
existing
counties.
Newly
created
counties,
however,
must
be
34
composed
of
contiguous
territory
and
be
reasonably
compact.
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H.J.R.
8
The
joint
resolution
requires
the
general
assembly
to
name
1
each
new
county
created
and
to
select
the
place
for
the
seat
of
2
the
county
government
for
each
new
county
created.
The
joint
3
resolution
allows
the
general
assembly
to
authorize
the
newly
4
created
counties
to
create
offices
of
county
government
as
a
5
county
deems
reasonable
and
necessary.
The
joint
resolution
6
requires
the
general
assembly
to
enact
all
laws
necessary
to
7
effectuate
new
section
2
of
Article
XI
of
the
Constitution
of
8
the
State
of
Iowa.
9
The
joint
resolution
provides
that
in
the
event
the
general
10
assembly
fails
to
reduce
the
number
of
counties,
select
a
11
county
seat
of
government
for
each
newly
created
county,
12
or
name
each
newly
created
county
as
required,
the
chief
13
justice
of
the
supreme
court
is
required
to
do
so.
The
joint
14
resolution
also
provides
that
after
the
reduction
in
the
number
15
of
counties
has
been
effectuated,
the
number
and
boundaries
of
16
such
newly
created
counties
may
not
be
changed.
17
The
joint
resolution
repeals
provisions
requiring
any
law
18
that
changes
boundary
lines
of
a
county
to
first
be
approved
19
at
a
general
election
by
the
people
of
the
counties
affected
20
by
the
change.
21
The
joint
resolution
proposes
a
corresponding
amendment
to
22
section
8
of
Article
XI
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
23
Iowa,
which
establishes
the
city
of
Des
Moines
in
Polk
county
24
as
the
seat
of
government
and
establishes
the
state
university
25
at
Iowa
City
in
Johnson
county,
by
removing
the
references
to
26
Polk
county
and
Johnson
county.
27
The
resolution,
if
adopted,
would
be
referred
to
the
next
28
general
assembly
(Eighty-fifth)
for
adoption
before
being
29
submitted
to
the
electorate
for
ratification.
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