Senate Republicans request Convention of States

US CapitolBy Bob Eschliman
Editor

 

A group of Republican senators has filed a resolution requesting that a Convention of States be called to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 7 was offered last week by state Sens. Dennis Guth (R-Klemme), Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig), Mark Chelgren (R-Ottumwa), Mark Segebart (R-Vail), Amy Sinclair (R-Allerton), Jerry Behn (R-Boone), and Ken Rozenboom (R-Oskaloosa). Specifically, the resolution calls for a convention to consider the following types of amendments:

  • impose fiscal restraints on the federal government,
  • limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and
  • limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.

The joint resolution provides that it shall serve as a continuing application to call a constitutional convention until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have made applications on the same subject. A similar resolution has not yet been filed in the House.

 

Senators take on marriage amendment

A group of Republican senators also took up a duplicate version of House Joint Resolution 4, which specifies marriage is between one man and one woman, and that is the only form of marriage that will be legally recognized in Iowa. The Senate version, Senate Joint Resolution 6, is sponsored by Guth, Schultz, Segebart, Behn, Rozenboom, and state Sens. Jake Chapman (R-Adel), Bill Anderson (R-Pierson), Randy Feenstra (R-Hull), David Johnson (R-Ocheyedan), Tim Kraayenbrink (R-Fort Dodge), and Rick Bertrand (R-Sioux City).