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Florida Senate Rules Committee: Call to an Article V Amendment Convention.
Florida Senate ^

Posted on 03/18/2014 2:32:32 AM PDT by Jacquerie

The Rules Committee of the Florida Senate will take up SM476 this coming Thursday, March 20th at 10:30 AM.

SM476 is an application to Congress for an Article V state amendment convention:

Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

(1) That the Legislature of the State of Florida does hereby make application to Congress pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States to call an Article V convention for the sole purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States which:

(a) Impose fiscal restraints on the Federal Government.
(b) Limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
(c) Limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.

(2) That these three proposed amendment categories are severable from one another and may be counted individually toward the required two-thirds number of applications made by the state legislatures for the calling of an Article V convention.

Rules Committee:

Chair: Senator John Thrasher (R)
Vice Chair: Senator Christopher L. Smith (D)

Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R)
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R)
Senator Bill Galvano (R)
Senator Andy Gardiner (R)
Senator Jack Latvala (R)
Senator Tom Lee (R)
Senator Gwen Margolis (D)
Senator Bill Montford (D)
Senator Joe Negron (R)
Senator Garrett Richter (R)
Senator Jeremy Ring (D)
Senator David Simmons (R)
Senator Eleanor Sobel (D)


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: articlev; constitution; florida
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To: ripnbang; napscoordinator
"... isn’t this dangerous...like opening Pandora’s box? ..."
"... How can we be sure that other important things can’t be changed ..."
-
"... the ones calling for this want to see the right to free speech,
right to bear arms, to be either watered down or taken away ..."
-
The resolutions call for an Article V Convention of the States
for the sole purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution which:
-Impose fiscal restraints on the Federal Government;
-Limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government; and
-Limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.
-
An Article V Convention of States cannot amend the Constitution.
An Article V Convention of States is simply a formal gathering of delegates
from at least 34 states to discuss, debate, and "propose amendments" to the Constitution.

Any proposal not within the stated purpose of the Convention of States
(fiscal restraints; limits on power and jurisdiction; limits on terms of office)
would be unauthorized, rejected, and not approved by the Convention of States.

An Article V Convention of States cannot amend the Constitution.
Any proposal that emerged as a "proposed amendment" by the Convention of States
would still require ratification by 38 states, the same as with any other proposed amendment.
21 posted on 03/18/2014 4:58:18 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Jacquerie

All we need now is Soros rewriting the goddamn Constitution.

Soros (and the Chicago Mob unions) have used their ground game to seize complete control of the US government from the Oval Office down to Dog Catcher.

Im not optimistic about opening the door to rewriting the Constitution (or opening ANY door) while the Mafia and their Mozz Bros footsoldiers keep successfully threatening everybody from MSM shills to Chief Justice Roberts.


22 posted on 03/18/2014 8:21:43 AM PDT by LyinLibs (If victims of islam were more "islamophobic," maybe they'd still be alive.)
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To: napscoordinator

“I don’t know if these folks are naive or just stupid. We are walking into a very dangerous land mind if they do this. Liberals are very excited seeing these folks calling for this.”

Exactly. Libtard mafia has destroyed everything they touch. This would be their golden opportunity to transform us into the USSR or Venezuela (even more permanently than they already have).


23 posted on 03/18/2014 8:24:23 AM PDT by LyinLibs (If victims of islam were more "islamophobic," maybe they'd still be alive.)
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To: Repeal The 17th

-
States that have passed a Convention Of States application
through one or both of their state legislatures:
Georgia (Senate and House)
Alabama (House)
Arizona (House)
Alaska (House)
-
States that have filed or pre-filed a Convention Of States application
in their state legislatures (State and Bill number):
Alabama HJR49
Alaska HJR22, SJR18
Arizona HCR2027
Florida SM0476, HM381
Georgia SR736, HR1215
Louisiana HCR6, HCR15
Missouri HCR41
New Mexico HJR2
Oklahoma SJR38
South Carolina H4372, S833
West Virginia HCR86
-


24 posted on 03/18/2014 8:26:56 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: LyinLibs; Jacquerie

Please see post #21
-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3134401/posts?page=21#21
-
Oh, and wash your mouth out with soap while you’re at it.


25 posted on 03/18/2014 8:30:08 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: LyinLibs; Repeal The 17th
Wow. Really?

As THE strongest and most prolific Article V supporter at FreeRepublic, I think I deserve some Soros recognition.

The next time you speak with Soros, tell him to send a few million my way.

26 posted on 03/18/2014 9:32:49 AM PDT by Jacquerie (Obama has established executive branch precedents that no election can reverse. Article V.)
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To: Jacquerie

The Marxists have DESTROYED every opponent, in ways we haven’t even begun to catalog yet.

They’ve replaced our gov’t with Marxists and islamic terrorists from the Muslim Brotherhood.

I think you’re great, and I love Mark Levin, but I don’t trust a campaign led by you/Mark/ANYBODY to defeat the Mafia/Union/Islamo/MSM/Leftist/Bankster/Senate/ACORN Complex.


27 posted on 03/18/2014 9:38:46 AM PDT by LyinLibs (If victims of islam were more "islamophobic," maybe they'd still be alive.)
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To: napscoordinator

You have no idea what you are talking about; hence you ought to be circumspect about calling other naive or stupid. You are well advised to look out for your own field of land “minds”.


28 posted on 03/18/2014 12:49:58 PM PDT by John Valentine (Deep in the Heart of Texas)
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To: LyinLibs
...but I don’t trust a campaign led by you/Mark/ANYBODY to defeat the Mafia/Union/Islamo/MSM/Leftist/Bankster/Senate/ACORN Complex.

And your solution is what? ... preemptive surrender?

Why not trust yourself and volunteer at Convention of States.com? Lend a hand and get educated at the same time.

29 posted on 03/18/2014 12:52:30 PM PDT by John Valentine (Deep in the Heart of Texas)
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To: LyinLibs

Dear Lyin Libs.

Are you one of them? If not, why are you here lying like one? The words I see from you are so ignorant, so wrong-headed, and so troll-like, I have to be suspicious of your motivations.

George Soros? Get a grip!


30 posted on 03/18/2014 12:56:04 PM PDT by John Valentine (Deep in the Heart of Texas)
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To: John Valentine

All I’m saying is this:

Let’s expose/remove some of the Marxists/Mafia/Moslems before we stroll in and announce ‘Let’s revise the Constitution.’

Doing that BEFORE we determine who the heck staged the coup on our federal govt is like learning your house is infested floor-to-ceiling with termites, then deciding to blow $1 million on renovations WITHOUT BOTHERING to fumigate and confirm that you’re no longer infested.


31 posted on 03/18/2014 1:41:55 PM PDT by LyinLibs (If victims of islam were more "islamophobic," maybe they'd still be alive.)
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To: napscoordinator

I don’t see how “marriage equality” can sneak into articles 1)a)b)or c) above.

That’s the beauty of an Article 5 convention.

If the left wants to propose their own amendments, they have to call a DIFFERENT convention.


32 posted on 03/18/2014 1:46:54 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Rome2000

Higher than yours apparently. Some people agreed with my post. What is wrong with you?


33 posted on 03/18/2014 2:03:47 PM PDT by napscoordinator ( Santorum-Bachmann 2016 for the future of the country!)
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To: nathanbedford

From COS:

Right now we have pending legislation in 10 states, and our application has been considered by 13 states so far this year.

Our application is being considered in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

Georgia passed our application, and Virginia and North Dakota did not.

You can find more details on our Progress Report page: http://conventionofstates.com/progress-report

Please let me know if you need any further information.

Best,

Jordan Sillars
Communications Director

Convention of States Project
Citizens for Self-Governance
http://conventionofstates.com


34 posted on 03/18/2014 2:32:32 PM PDT by Jacquerie (Obama has established executive branch precedents that no election can reverse. Article V.)
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To: LyinLibs

I have no problem with doing both. The Article V Convention is a ten-year project in any case. We can drive out innumerable commies in the meantime - or can we?


35 posted on 03/18/2014 3:03:05 PM PDT by John Valentine (Deep in the Heart of Texas)
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To: LyinLibs

> All we need now is Soros rewriting the goddamn Constitution.

No one is going to re-write anything. Please inform yourself.

The reason for calling the convention in the first place is not to address what the government CAN do, but to address what the government can NOT do. The subject of the convention is specifically limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and that limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress. Any proposal by any delegate that would fall outside of these parameters would be declared by the chairman of the convention to be “void ab initio,” or dead on arrival, and there would be no further discussion of the matter.

Secondly, delegates to the convention will be selected by the various state legislatures. If you look at the numbers of Red state legislatures (26) versus Blue state legislatures (18)*, conservatives have a sizeable majority, and one that only stands to increase in the upcoming election, both in state governorships and chambers of the legislature controlled by conservatives.

Certainly there will be states like California, New York and Illinois that will send extremists, but it’s a one-state, one-vote system. Even if the liberal delegates were somehow able to approach the number of conservative delegates, no leftist proposal can be passed inside the convention without a 2/3 vote of the states, and that just isn’t mathematically possible.

Lastly, after the Convention of States has done its work and adjourns, nothing will have been changed. Nothing. All that will have happened is that a bill of proposed amendments, similar in process to the first ten original amendments - our Bill of Rights - will have been submitted to Congress, which then must in turn send them back out to the legislatures of the several states for ratification, either by convention or a vote of the legislature.

Again, math is our friend here. Article V of the Constitution requires that 75% of the states ratify any proposed amendment before it becomes the Supreme Law of the Land, which also means that it would take only 13 states to kill any hair-brained proposal that might have somehow managed to slip through. Remember, the proposed amendments must stand or fall as written - no state can make any changes, not even a single letter. If the states can’t agree in the numbers required, the proposal fails for lack of support.

The bottom line is that there are multiple levels of safeguards in place to prevent a “runaway” convention - we have nothing to fear from those who would “hijack” the process. What we DO have to fear is our current runaway federal government, and what will most certainly happen to our Constitution if we do nothing.

* Source: https://www.statescape.com/resources/partysplits/partysplits.aspx


36 posted on 03/18/2014 4:26:09 PM PDT by Strawberry AZ
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To: LyinLibs

> This would be their golden opportunity to transform us into the USSR or Venezuela

As explained in a previous post to another individual who appears to have allowed fear rather than reason shape his judgement, the reason for calling the convention in the first place is not to address what the government CAN do, but to address what the government can NOT do.

The subject of the convention is specifically limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and that limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress. Any proposal by any delegate that would fall outside of these parameters would be declared by the chairman of the convention to be “void ab initio,” or dead on arrival, and there would be no further discussion of the matter.

Secondly, delegates to the convention will be selected by the various state legislatures. If you look at the numbers of Red state legislatures (26) versus Blue state legislatures (18)*, conservatives have a sizeable majority, and one that only stands to increase in the upcoming election, both in state governorships and chambers of the legislature controlled by conservatives.

Certainly there will be states like California, New York and Illinois that will send extremists, but it’s a one-state, one-vote system. Even if the liberal delegates were somehow able to approach the number of conservative delegates, no leftist proposal can be passed inside the convention without a 2/3 vote of the states, and that just isn’t mathematically possible.

Lastly, after the Convention of States has done its work and adjourns, nothing will have been changed. Nothing. All that will have happened is that a bill of proposed amendments, similar in process to the first ten original amendments - our Bill of Rights - will have been submitted to Congress, which then must in turn send them back out to the legislatures of the several states for ratification, either by convention or a vote of the legislature.

Again, math is our friend here. Article V of the Constitution requires that 75% of the states ratify any proposed amendment before it becomes the Supreme Law of the Land, which also means that it would take only 13 states to kill any hair-brained proposal that might have somehow managed to slip through. Remember, the proposed amendments must stand or fall as written - no state can make any changes, not even a single letter. If the states can’t agree in the numbers required, the proposal fails for lack of support.

The bottom line is that there are multiple levels of safeguards in place to prevent a “runaway” convention - we have nothing to fear from those who would “hijack” the process. What we DO have to fear is our current runaway federal government, and what will most certainly happen to our Constitution if we do nothing.

PS: There is one other aspect to all of this that bears mentioning. Even if this effort were to ultimately fail, either because the convention delegates are not able to agree on even one proposed amendment, or even worse, if we fail to muster enough states to force Congress to call for the convention in the first place, just the very fact that the people out here are fed up enough with the status quo to rise up, independent of Congress, and actually make an attempt at taking back the reins of power just might be enough to get their attention back east, to get Congress to change its ways… maybe just a little.

I read recently that it was the threat of a convention of states back in the early 1900s that drove Congress to enact the 17th Amendment, the direct election of senators. Now, whether or not that idea worked out as planned is another matter altogether, but you get the point. At this stage of the game, even if they only change a little, every little bit helps… at the very least, until we try it again!

* Source: https://www.statescape.com/resources/partysplits/partysplits.aspx


37 posted on 03/18/2014 4:30:50 PM PDT by Strawberry AZ
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To: LyinLibs

> I don’t trust a campaign led by you/Mark/ANYBODY to defeat the Mafia/Union/Islamo/MSM/Leftist/Bankster/Senate/ACORN Complex.

Unfortunately, you appear to be just another person who has allowed fear rather than reason to shape his judgment... if you can even call it that.

Please... inform yourself... then get involved. Turn away from the fear-mongers and become part of the Solution!

http://www.conventionofstates.com/


38 posted on 03/18/2014 4:36:28 PM PDT by Strawberry AZ
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To: LyinLibs

> Let’s expose/remove some of the Marxists/Mafia/Moslems before we stroll in and announce ‘Let’s revise the Constitution.’

Please don’t come here and try to tell us that just electing (and re-electing) conservatives will do the trick. Are you new here? We’ve been doing that since the days of Newt Gingrich, and how’s that worked out?

The ONLY way for the states to take back the reins of power is to use the tool given to them by the Constitution – Article V.

If you haven’t read the material, please do… not only will you do yourself the favor of informing yourself, it will answer all of your questions. Believe me... I was once a skeptic. The presentation is illuminating, and the concept is exciting! For once, we can replace anger and fear with hope and purpose.

An Article V Convention of States - A Solution as Big as the Problem
http://www.conventionofstates.com/


39 posted on 03/18/2014 4:43:05 PM PDT by Strawberry AZ
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To: MrB

> If the left wants to propose their own amendments, they have to call a DIFFERENT convention.

EXACTLY! This man GETS IT!

If Soros et al want to EXPAND the scope and power of the federal, then fine... more power to them... it’s still a free country. I’d be more than happy to send them a link to Article V.

Then we can sit back and watch as they slowly do the math: All it takes to kill any hair-brained proposal that they could come up with is 13 states. I’m thinking that out of the 26 state legislatures controlled by conservatives, we could come up with 13 who don’t have anything better to do.


40 posted on 03/18/2014 4:49:23 PM PDT by Strawberry AZ
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