DES MOINES, IOWA — Two amendments to Iowa’s Constitution will be up to voters at the ballot box on November 5.
The first is codifying the constitution to match federal law, allowing 18-year-olds in the state to vote. That age group has been allowed to vote in Iowa since 1971, but the state constitution still has the language of needing to be 21 to vote. That resolution passed in the Iowa Statehouse in 2022 and 2023 with not a single vote against it.
The second is very specific. It’s about the vague wording in the constitution that created confusion in 2017 when then Governor Terry Branstad left office to become the United States Ambassador to China under the Trump administration. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, at the time, was appointed to the state’s highest political office, but wording in the constitution was not clear on if the lieutenant governor could appoint a new second-in-command after assuming the role of governor.
The wording in the constitution in Section 17 of Article IV reads “In case of the death, impeachment, resignation, removal from office, or other disability of the governor, the powers and duties of the office for the residue of the term, or until he shall be acquitted, or the disability removed, shall devolve upon the lieutenant governor.” The language, being vague, needed clarification in case a similar situation arises in the future.
“This was the case where I stepped in as lieutenant governor to fill the role and it was vague. I mean, at first, I think Attorney General Miller said I did, and then changed his position on that,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds at a press conference several weeks ago. “And so therefore, just because it is somewhat gray and we decided it was somewhat gray, I decided not to push it, that’s why we’ve tried to clarify it in the constitution.”
This resolution passed in 2022 and 2023, with 18 no votes in 2023 coming from Iowa House Democrats concerned about checks and balances in this very specific scenario.
“I’ve opposed this amendment and I encourage voters to oppose it as well. I think it’s clear that something has to be done about the line of succession,” said State Representative Adam Zabner, (D) District 90 from Iowa City. “My concern with this constitutional amendment is that in the case where the governor is able to appoint a new lieutenant governor, there is no restrictions on who that person can be. There’s no sort of requirement that the senate confirm that appointee. And that leads me to concern that someone who was chosen by one person who was never confirmed by the senate could become the Governor of Iowa.”
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