Bill Text: IA HJR2007 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to persons convicted of an infamous crime.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-07 - Rereferred to Judiciary. H.J. 227. [HJR2007 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HJR2007-Introduced.html

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House Joint Resolution 2007 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION       
                                 BY  WOLFE and HEARTSILL

                                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

  1 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution
  2    of the State of Iowa relating to persons convicted of an
  3    infamous crime.
  4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  The following amendment to the Constitution of
  1  2 the State of Iowa is proposed:
  1  3    Section 5 of Article II of the Constitution of the State of
  1  4 Iowa, as amended by the amendment of 2008, is amended to read
  1  5 as follows:
  1  6 Disqualified persons. SEC. 5.  A person adjudged mentally
  1  7 incompetent to vote or a person convicted of any infamous crime
  1  8  shall not be entitled to the privilege of an elector.
  1  9    Sec. 2.  REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION.  The foregoing proposed
  1 10 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred
  1 11 to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general
  1 12 election for members of the general assembly, and the secretary
  1 13 of state is directed to cause the proposed amendment to be
  1 14 published for three consecutive months previous to the date of
  1 15 that election as provided by law.
  1 16                           EXPLANATION
  1 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 18 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 19    This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the
  1 20 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to disqualifications
  1 21 of certain electors.  Under Article II, section 5, of the Iowa
  1 22 Constitution, a person convicted of any infamous crime is not
  1 23 entitled to the privilege of an elector.  Under Code section
  1 24 39.3(6), an "elector" is defined to mean a person who possesses
  1 25 all of the qualifications necessary to entitle the person to be
  1 26 registered to vote.  Under the amendment, a person convicted
  1 27 of an infamous crime would not be constitutionally barred from
  1 28 registering to vote.
  1 29    The amendment does not change the definition of "infamous
  1 30 crime" in Code section 39.3(8) which is defined to mean
  1 31 a felony as defined in Code section 701.7, or an offense
  1 32 classified as a felony under federal law.
  1 33    The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then
  1 34 referred to the next general assembly (88th) for adoption,
  1 35 before being submitted to the electorate for ratification.
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