Bill Text: IA HJR2004 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the appointment of supreme court justices and district judges.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-01 - Subcommittee recommends indefinite postponement. [HJR2004 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HJR2004-Introduced.html
House Joint Resolution 2004 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION BY HEARTSILL HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 2 of the State of Iowa relating to the appointment of supreme 3 court justices and district judges. 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5565YH (2) 87 jm/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 1 2 the State of Iowa is proposed: 1 3 1. Section 15 of Article V of the Constitution of the 1 4 State of Iowa, as added by the Amendment of 1962, is repealed 1 5 beginning January 1, 2021, and the following adopted in lieu 1 6 thereof: 1 7 Vacancies in courts.SEC. 15. Vacancies in the supreme 1 8 court and district court shall be filled by appointment by the 1 9 governor subject to confirmation by the senate. 1 10 2. Section 16 of Article V of the Constitution of the 1 11 State of Iowa, as added by the Amendment of 1962, is repealed 1 12 beginning January 1, 2021. 1 13 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing amendment 1 14 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the 1 15 general assembly to be chosen at the next general election 1 16 for members of the general assembly, and the secretary of 1 17 state is directed to cause the same to be published for three 1 18 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as 1 19 provided by law. 1 20 EXPLANATION 1 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 22 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 23 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the 1 24 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the appointment 1 25 of supreme court justices and district judges. 1 26 The state judicial nominating commission currently nominates 1 27 persons for appointment by the governor to the supreme court 1 28 and court of appeals and each district judicial nominating 1 29 commission nominates persons for appointment by the governor to 1 30 the district court bench. 1 31 The resolution eliminates the state judicial nominating 1 32 commission and district judicial nominating commissions and 1 33 establishes a new procedure for the appointment of persons 1 34 to the supreme court or district court. The resolution 1 35 requires the governor to appoint persons to the supreme court 2 1 or district court, subject to confirmation by the senate. 2 2 Retention elections for the supreme court justices and district 2 3 judges required by the constitution remain in place. The 2 4 resolution is silent, as is the current Iowa Constitution, 2 5 regarding the nomination and appointment of judges of the court 2 6 of appeals. 2 7 The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next 2 8 general assembly (88th) for adoption a second time before the 2 9 amendment is submitted to the electorate for ratification. 2 10 The amendment, if adopted and ratified by the electorate, 2 11 takes effect January 1, 2021. LSB 5565YH (2) 87 jm/rj