                 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA

                              PREAMBLE

   WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF IOWA, grateful to the Supreme Being for the 
blessings  hitherto  enjoyed,  and  feeling  our  dependence  on  Him  for  a 
continuance  of  those  blessings,   do  ordain  and  establish  a  free  and 
independent  government,  by  the name of the STATE OF IOWA,  the  boundaries 
whereof shall be as follows:

                              ARTICLE I

                           BILL OF RIGHTS

Section  1.    All  men are,  by nature,  free and equal,  and  have  certain 
inalienable  rights among which are those of enjoying and defending life  and 
liberty,  acquiring,  possessing  and protecting property,  and pursuing  and 
obtaining safety and happiness.

Section  2.    All political power is inherent in the people.  Government  is 
instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people,  and they 
have  the  right,  at all times,  to alter or reform the same,  whenever  the 
public good may require it.

Section   3.     The  General  Assembly  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an 
establishment  of  religion,  or prohibiting the free exercise  thereof;  nor 
shall  any  person be compelled to attend any place of worship,  pay  tithes, 
taxes,  or  other rates for building or repairing places of worship,  or  the 
maintenance of any minister, or ministry.

Section  4.    No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any 
office,  or  public  trust,  and  no person shall be deprived of any  of  his 
rights,  privileges,  or capacities,  or disqualified from the performance of 
any of his public or private duties, or rendered incompetent to give evidence 
in any court of law or equity,  in consequence of his opinions on the subject 
of religion; and any party to any judicial proceeding shall have the right to 
use as a witness, or take the testimony of, any other person not disqualified 
on  account  of interest,  who may be cognizant of any fact material  to  the 
case; and parties to suits may be witnesses, as provided by law.

Section 5.    Any citizen of this State who may hereafter be engaged,  either 
directly, or indirectly, in a duel, either as principle,  or accessary before 
the  fact,  shall  forever be disqualified from holding any office under  the 
Constitution and laws of this State.

Section 6.   All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation; the 
General  Assembly  shall  not grant to any citizen,  or  class  of  citizens, 
privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms shall not equally belong 
to all citizens.

Section 7.   Every person may speak, write, and publish his sentiments on all 
subjects,  being  responsible  for the abuse of that right.  No law shall  be 
passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech, or of the press.  In all 
prosecutions or indictments for libel,  the truth may be given in evidence to 
the  jury,  and if it appears to the jury that the matter charged as libelous 
was true,  and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends,  the 
party shall be acquitted.

Section 8.   The rights of the people to be secure in their persons,  houses, 
papers and effects, against unreasonable seizures and searches,  shall not be 
violated, and no warrant shall issue but on probable cause, supported by oath 
or  affirmation,  particularly describing the place to be searched,  and  the 
persons and things to be seized.

Section  9     The  right of trial by jury shall remain  inviolate;  but  the 
General  Assembly may authorize trial by a jury of a less number than  twelve 
men in inferior courts; but no person shall be deprived of life, liberty,  or 
property without due process of law.

Section 10.   In all criminal prosecutions,  and in cases involving the life, 
or  liberty  of an individual the accused shall have a right to a speedy  and 
public  trial by an impartial jury;  to be informed of the accusation against 
him,  to  have  a  copy  of same when demanded;  to be  confronted  with  the 
witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for his witnesses; and,  to 
have the assistance of counsel.

Section  11.   All offenses less than felony and in which the punishment does 
not  exceed a fine of one hundred dollars,  or imprisonment for thirty  days, 
shall  be  tried summarily before a Justice of the Peace,  or  other  officer 
authorized  by law,  on information under oath,  without indictment,  or  the 
intervention  of a grand jury,  saving to the defendant the right of  appeal; 
and no person shall be held to answer for any higher criminal offense, unless 
on  presentment or indictment by a grand jury except in cases arising in  the 
army, or navy, or in the militia,  when in actual service,  in time of war or 
public  danger.  [amended 1884 -  The grand jury may consist of any number of 
members  not less than five,  nor more than fifteen,  as the General Assembly 
may  by  law provide for holding persons to answer for any  criminal  offense 
without the intervention of a grand jury.]

Section 12.  No person shall after acquittal,  be tried for the same offense. 
All persons shall,  before conviction,  be bailable,  by sufficient sureties, 
except  for capital offenses where the proof is evident,  or the  presumption 
great.

Section 13. The writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, or refused when 
application  is  made as required by law,  unless in case  of  rebellion,  or 
invasion the public safety may require it.

Section  14.   The  military  shall be subordinate to  the  civil  power.  No 
standing army shall be kept up by the State in time of peace;  and in time of 
war, no appropriation for a standing army shall be for a longer time than for 
two years.

Section 15.   No soldier shall,  in time of peace,  be quartered in any house 
without  the  consent of the owner,  nor in time of war except in the  manner 
prescribed by law.

Section  16.   Treason  against the State shall consist only in  levying  war 
against  it,  adhering  to its enemies,  or giving them aid and  comfort.  No 
person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the evidence of two witnesses 
to the same overt act, or confession in open court.

Section 17.  Excessive bail shall not be required;  excessive fines shall not 
be imposed, and cruel and unusual punishment shall not be inflicted. 

Section 18.   Private property shall not be taken for public use without just 
compensation first being made, or secured to be made to the owner thereof, as 
soon  as  the damages shall be assessed by a jury,  who shall not  take  into 
consideration  any advantages that may result to said owner on account of the 
improvement  for which it is taken.   [amended 1908 -  The General  Assembly, 
however,  may  pass laws permitting the owners of lands to construct  drains, 
ditches, and levees for agricultural,  sanitary or mining purposes across the 
lands of others, and provide for the organization of drainage districts, vest 
the  proper authorities with power to construct and maintain  levees,  drains 
and ditches and to keep in repair all drains, ditches,  and levees heretofore 
constructed  under  the laws of the state,  by special assessments  upon  the 
property  benefited thereby.  The General Assembly may provide by law for the 
condemnation  of such real estate as shall be necessary for the  construction 
of such drains,  ditches and levees,  and prescribe the method of making such 
condemnation.]

Section 19.   No person shall be imprisoned for debt in any civil action,  on 
mesne  or  final process,  unless in case of fraud;  and no person  shall  be 
imprisoned for a militia fine in time of peace.

Section 20.  The people have the right to freely assemble together to counsel 
for  the common good;  to make known their opinions to their  Representatives 
and to petition for a redress of grievances.

Section 21.   No bill of attainder,  ex post facto law,  or law impairing the 
obligation of contracts, shall ever be passed.

Section  22.   Foreigners who are,  or may hereafter become residents of this 
state,  shall  enjoy the same rights in respect to the possession,  enjoyment 
and descent of property, as native born citizens.

Section  23.   There  shall be no slavery in this State;  nor shall there  be 
involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime.

Section 24.  No lease or grant of agricultural lands, reserving any rent,  or 
service of any kind, shall be valid for a longer period than twenty years.

Section  25.   This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to impair or 
deny others, retained by the people.
