Iowa House Republicans on Tuesday took a step toward limiting the powers of its state attorney general, citing the current AG's support of out-of-state lawsuits that targeted President Donald Trump's policies.

The Republican-controlled chamber voted 54-45 to advance a bill that would require Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, to effectively get permission to join out-of-state lawsuits.

Rep. Gary Worthan, of Storm Lake, was the lone Republican to speak in favor of the provision, which was tucked into a budget bill. But the bulk of his caucus voted for it.

"The attorney general’s client is the state of Iowa," Worthan said. "But does that give him carte blanche to do whatever he pleases? ... We have an attorney general who may have overstepped somewhat on some actions."

If the proposal becomes law, Miller and any future attorney general could prosecute non-Iowa lawsuits only if requested by the governor, the General Assembly or the Executive Council, which also includes the governor.

It's a way for Iowa Republicans to push back on actions Miller has taken as the state's chief legal officer since Trump's election. In 2018, Miller joined six lawsuits initiated in other states that sought to block some of Trump's policies. Miller has also signed on to about 26 amicus briefs and 50 letters to federal agencies challenging the Trump administration's actions.

The attorney general's office estimated its total cost of participating in those legal actions at between $7,500 and $10,000.

Miller, the country's longest-serving attorney general, watched the House floor debate in person Tuesday. He said afterward he was disappointed in the result.

Miller spent days meeting one-on-one with lawmakers to forestall the proposal. He reiterated that his ability to file lawsuits goes to the heart of his responsibilities as the state attorney general. He believes Iowans trust his judgment since they’ve voted him into office 10 times since the late 1970s.

“In light of all of that, it’s not appropriate to restrict me in a way that no other attorney general in the country is restricted,” Miller said.

A recent legislative effort by Republicans in Wisconsin to restrict that state attorney general’s powers has been challenged in court.

Worthan said Miller's participation in lawsuits during the Trump administration goes against the will of Iowa voters. He called it, "political."

"It's political because this attorney general has taken part in out-of-state suits that are completely contrary to actions by the Legislature that were signed by the governor," he said. "The governor and the Legislature set the agenda for the state of Iowa, not the attorney general."

But Democrats said that the attorney general, as an elected position, was meant to be political — Iowans get to choose whether they agree with the actions the office takes at the ballot box every four years.

Rep. Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, warned Republicans to consider how restricting powers of elected offices could affect their party when they do not control both legislative chambers and the governor's office. He said these questions of representing Iowans' interests are already decided through an election.

"Our attorney general is duly elected by the citizens of Iowa every four years. It's not my fault they can’t field a candidate," Meyer said. "The solution is political. If you don’t like what Attorney General Miller is doing, the solution is political."

Democrats attempted to remove the language from the budget bill through an amendment proposed by Rep. Marti Anderson, D-Des Moines. The motion failed, though two Republicans — Reps. Brian Lohse of Bondurant and Joe Mitchell of Mount Pleasant — crossed party lines to support the motion.

While Republicans are concerned about Trump-related lawsuits, the language could have other implications. The Iowa attorney general's office also has participated in multi-state litigation related to consumer protection in industries such as for-profit colleges and universities, mortgage and credit card abuses, and debt collection.

In December 2018, for example, Iowa was the lead state in a lawsuit against Wells Fargo that resulted in a $575 million settlement, including a $6.2 million payment to Iowa’s Consumer Education and Litigation Fund.

Democrats said the language could get in the way of the attorney general's ability to take actions on these types of non-partisan actions. Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, asked why the attorney general needs to get permission from the governor for actions he was elected to take.

"We have to seek permission for a lot of things in this world," Worthan responded.

The proposal has received national attention. The Democratic Attorneys General Association released a statement earlier this week, co-signed by 20 attorneys general, which called for Iowa's Legislature and governor to reject the proposal.

“Instead of dealing with unnecessary obstacles that impede his ability to serve the people," the release said, "AG Miller should be afforded the tools he needs to focus on Iowa’s most pressing issues."

The Senate must approve the proposal before it can head to Gov. Kim Reynolds. She was noncommittal at a press conference Tuesday.

"I haven't seen the language and so we'll take a look at the bill," she said. "If it passes both chambers and is sent to my desk, we'll sit down with a team and make a decision after we do a review."

Des Moines Register reporter Barbara Rodriguez contributed to this story.

Robin Opsahl covers political trends for the Register. They can be reached by email at ropsahl@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8051.