Bill Text: IA SJR2003 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A joint resolution requesting the call of a constitutional convention in order to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to allow Congress and the states to prohibit or otherwise regulate the expenditure of funds for political speech by any corporation, limited liability company, or other corporate entity.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-12 - Introduced, referred to Rules & Administration. S.J. 243. [SJR2003 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2013-SJR2003-Introduced.html
Senate
Joint
Resolution
2003
-
Introduced
SENATE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
2003
BY
BOLKCOM
,
DVORSKY
,
and
BLACK
SENA
TE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
A
Joint
Resolution
requesting
the
call
of
a
constitutional
1
convention
in
order
to
propose
an
amendment
to
the
2
Constitution
of
the
United
States
to
allow
Congress
and
the
3
states
to
prohibit
or
otherwise
regulate
the
expenditure
4
of
funds
for
political
speech
by
any
corporation,
limited
5
liability
company,
or
other
corporate
entity.
6
WHEREAS,
by
a
ruling
of
the
United
States
supreme
court,
7
a
corporation,
limited
liability
company,
or
other
type
of
8
corporate
entity
is
now
accorded
greater
rights
of
political
9
activity
than
was
previously
lawful;
and
10
WHEREAS,
those
rights
now
allow
a
corporation,
a
limited
11
liability
company,
or
other
type
of
corporate
entity
to
use
12
general
treasury
funds
to
make
independent
expenditures
for
13
electioneering
communications
or
for
speech
that
expressly
14
advocates
the
election
or
defeat
of
a
candidate
for
public
15
office;
and
16
WHEREAS,
this
ruling
overturns
a
century
of
legislative
17
and
judicial
determinations
making
a
distinction
between
the
18
political
free
speech
of
natural
persons
and
political
activity
19
by
corporate
entities;
and
20
WHEREAS,
a
corporate
entity
has
far
greater
economic
21
resources
than
does
a
natural
person
and
may
use
those
22
resources
to
advance
political
ideas;
and
23
WHEREAS,
restriction
and
regulation
of
corporate
political
24
activity
is
essential
to
prevent
domination
of
the
political
25
process
by
corporate
entities;
NOW
THEREFORE,
26
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
27
TLSB
5157XS
(7)
85
aw/rj
S.J.R.
2003
That
pursuant
to
Article
V
of
the
Constitution
of
the
United
1
States,
the
general
assembly,
as
the
legislature
of
the
state
2
of
Iowa,
makes
application
to
the
Congress
of
the
United
States
3
to
call
a
convention
for
the
specific
and
exclusive
purpose
of
4
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
5
as
set
forth
in
substance
in
this
resolution,
for
submission
to
6
the
states
for
ratification.
7
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
if,
within
sixty
days
after
the
8
legislatures
of
two-thirds
of
the
states
make
application
for
9
such
convention,
Congress
proposes
and
submits
to
the
states
10
for
ratification
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
11
States
which
empowers
Congress
and
the
states
to
regulate
the
12
expenditure
of
funds
for
political
speech
by
any
corporation,
13
limited
liability
company,
or
other
corporate
entity,
in
a
14
manner
substantially
similar
to
the
manner
contained
in
this
15
Joint
Resolution,
then
this
application
for
a
convention
shall
16
no
longer
be
of
any
force
and
effect.
17
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
if
the
convention
is
not
18
limited
to
the
specific
and
exclusive
purposes
of
this
Joint
19
Resolution,
this
application
and
request
shall
be
null
and
20
void,
and
shall
be
rescinded
and
of
no
effect.
21
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
this
application
constitutes
22
a
continuing
application
in
accordance
with
Article
V
of
the
23
Constitution
of
the
United
States,
until
at
least
two-thirds
24
of
the
legislatures
of
the
several
states
have
made
application
25
for
a
similar
convention
under
Article
V,
or
the
Congress
has
26
proposed
the
amendment
called
for
by
this
Joint
Resolution,
or
27
the
general
assembly
acts
to
withdraw
this
application.
28
“ARTICLE
29
SECTION
1.
The
sovereign
right
of
the
people
to
govern
30
being
essential
to
a
free
democracy,
Congress
and
the
states
31
may
prohibit
or
otherwise
regulate
the
expenditure
of
funds
for
32
political
speech
by
any
corporation,
limited
liability
company,
33
or
other
corporate
entity.
34
SEC.
2.
Nothing
contained
in
this
article
shall
be
construed
35
-1-
LSB
5157XS
(7)
85
aw/rj
1/
3
S.J.R.
2003
to
abridge
the
freedom
of
the
press.”;
and
1
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
secretary
of
state
2
shall
transmit
certified
copies
of
this
Joint
Resolution
3
to
the
President
and
Secretary
of
the
United
States
4
Senate,
the
Speaker
and
Clerk
of
the
United
States
House
of
5
Representatives,
the
presiding
officer
in
each
house
of
the
6
legislature
in
each
of
the
states
in
the
union,
and
each
member
7
of
the
Iowa
congressional
delegation.
8
EXPLANATION
9
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
10
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
11
This
joint
resolution
constitutes
a
petition
requesting
the
12
United
States
Congress
to
call
a
constitutional
convention
in
13
order
to
propose
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
14
States
relating
to
corporate
political
speech
and
submit
it
to
15
the
states
for
ratification.
16
The
joint
resolution
also
provides
that
it
shall
serve
17
as
a
continuing
application
to
call
a
constitutional
18
convention,
until
at
least
two-thirds
of
the
legislatures
19
of
the
several
states
have
made
application
for
a
similar
20
convention
or
the
Congress
has
proposed
the
amendment
called
21
for
by
this
joint
resolution.
The
joint
resolution
requires
22
that
if
Congress
proposes
and
submits
to
the
states
for
23
ratification
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
24
States
substantially
similar
to
the
amendment
set
forth
in
25
this
resolution
within
60
days
after
the
requisite
number
of
26
legislatures
make
application
for
a
constitutional
convention,
27
then
this
state’s
application
for
a
convention
shall
no
longer
28
have
any
force
and
effect.
The
joint
resolution
provides
that
29
the
general
assembly
may
withdraw
this
application.
30
The
joint
resolution
provides
that
if
the
constitutional
31
convention
is
not
limited
to
the
specific
and
exclusive
32
purposes
of
the
resolution,
that
the
application
and
request
33
shall
be
null
and
void,
and
shall
be
rescinded
and
of
no
34
effect.
35
-2-
LSB
5157XS
(7)
85
aw/rj
2/
3
S.J.R.
2003
The
proposed
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
1
States
contained
in
the
joint
resolution
would
specifically
2
allow
Congress
and
the
states
to
prohibit
or
regulate
the
3
expenditure
of
funds
for
political
speech
by
any
corporation,
4
limited
liability
company,
or
other
corporate
entity.
5
The
joint
resolution
requires
the
Secretary
of
State
to
6
transmit
certified
copies
of
this
resolution
to
the
President
7
and
Secretary
of
the
United
States
Senate,
the
Speaker
and
8
Clerk
of
the
United
States
House
of
Representatives,
the
9
presiding
officer
in
each
house
of
the
legislature
in
each
10
of
the
states
in
the
union,
and
to
each
member
of
the
Iowa
11
congressional
delegation.
12
-3-
LSB
5157XS
(7)
85
aw/rj
3/
3
