Des Moines, Iowa — Giving Iowa voters a chance to clarify the line of succession at the top of state government is on the legislature’s docket again this year.
In 2018 when then-Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds took over as governor, the state’s attorney general at the time said it appeared from his reading of the Iowa Constitution that Reynolds did not have authority to name Adam Gregg lieutenant governor. The House has approved a proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution making it clear new governors have the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor. Critics like Representative Adam Zabner of Iowa City say the proposed amendment should include having at least 34 members of the Iowa Senate vote to confirm a new governor’s choice for the second highest position in state government.
Eighteen Democrats voted against the proposal. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, was among the Democrats who joined Republicans to pass it. Matson says the proposed constitutional amendment is written in very understandable clear language for voters and other details could be outlined in state law.
It takes a significant amount of time for lawmakers to propose an amendment to the state constitution and the discussion on this topic started in 2019. If the Senate approves the resolution House members approved this week, Iowans will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed amendment in the 2024 General Election before it would be part of the Iowa State Constitution.
