Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to keep and bear arms

Description

Senate Joint Resolution 18 proposes an amendment to the Iowa Constitution related to the right of the people to keep and bear arms, explicitly stating that this right shall not be infringed. The amendment states that the sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right, of which any and all restrictions shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

Background

Iowa Code section 49A.1 and the Iowa Constitution require that when an amendment to the Constitution is first passed by the General Assembly, and has been referred to the next succeeding General Assembly, the State Commissioner of Elections (Secretary of State) is required to publish the proposed amendment in two newspapers of general circulation in each Iowa congressional district once each month for three consecutive months prior to the start of the next General Assembly. Upon passage of the same amendment by the second General Assembly, the amendment is to be published in newspapers in all 99 counties once each month for three consecutive months immediately preceding the general election.

Assumptions

• The average cost to publish an amendment in a single newspaper is $600.
• Publication of the initial amendment would occur in eight newspapers (two in each congressional district) for a three-month period.
• Subsequent publication of the amendment would occur in 99 newspapers (one in each county) for a three-month period.

Fiscal Impact

Constitutional Amendment Publication Cost. The estimated cost to publish a proposed Constitutional amendment passed by the General Assembly during the 2019 Legislative Session would be $14,400 (8 newspapers x 3 months x $600). The costs would be incurred in the fall of 2020 (FY 2021).

Assuming the proposed amendment is passed a second time during the 2021 Legislative Session, the estimated cost would be $178,200 (99 newspapers x 3 months x $600). The costs would be incurred in the fall of 2022 (FY 2023).

The above publication costs would be incurred by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.

Sources

• Legislative Services Agency
• Office of the Secretary of State