The Iowa Legislature made it through its first self-imposed “funnel” deadline last week, and several high-profile bills are still alive, including some constitutional amendments.
State Representative Chris Hagenow, (R) District 19, says amendments are a fairly rare occurrence due to the lengthy process to enact one. He feels the influx of proposed amendments during this session isn’t a symptom of any widespread changes, but rather they’re the topics that arose naturally. “I can tell you, I don’t think that’s it’s been intentional to try and amend the constitution, other than the issue set. There’s just certain things that, in order to actually get done, require a constitutional amendment. And the way we amend the constitution in Iowa is after two general assemblies pass that, then it goes to the people to vote. So ultimately we’re giving the people the opportunity to directly decide.”
There are three high-profile amendments that made it through the first funnel. The bill that appears most likely to pass its first assembly is House Study Bill 68, which relates to voting rights for felons. It was proposed as a priority of Governor Kim Reynolds and has seen bipartisan support. It would allow people convicted of felonies to vote in elections once their sentences are completed, but there has been some contention as to what constitutes a completed sentence.
The next proposed amendment relates to the right to keep and bear arms, which has bills that made it through committees in both chambers. Senate Joint Resolution 10 and House Joint Resolution 3 both deal with guaranteeing Iowans have the rights laid out in the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Hagenow says Iowa is one of only a few states that don’t have their own constitutional language regarding 2nd Amendment protection. The amendment was previously on its way to a public vote, though due to an error in publication by the Secretary of State’s Office, it returned to square one this year.
The last amendment has met the most opposition, and it relates to abortion rights. Senate Joint Resolution 21 removes wording in the constitution that gives women the right to an abortion. The current clause in the constitution has halted abortion restrictions passed in the last two general assemblies, prompting the proposed amendment. A fourth amendment — which relates to the rights of victims of crimes, commonly referred to as Marsy’s Law — failed to make it through the first funnel, and will therefore likely have to wait until next year.
To learn more about the current general assembly, listen to our legislative updates on the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program each Monday.