Posted on 04/23/2014 8:27:13 AM PDT by cotton1706
Allen West Joins Sarah Palin, George Will, Tom Coburn, David Barton and Many Others in Call for a Convention of States
Former Congressman Col. Allen B. West is the latest conservative thought leader to endorse the Convention of States Project. Article V of Constitution gives the citizens—through their state legislatures—the opportunity to call a Convention of States to propose Constitutional amendments to limit the scope, power, and jurisdiction of the federal government.
“The US Constitution was written placing restraints upon the federal government. Today, the federal government is growing beyond all bounds ever imagined by the founders. This is something I clearly experienced being a Member of the 112th Congress. However, the founding fathers realized this could be an issue in the future and enabled States the power to restrain and put the federal government back in the Constitutional box,” he said.
“Thank goodness the founders had the wisdom to provide us with Article V of the Constitution, which gives us the right and power to hold an Amending Convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to restrain the scope and power of the federal government. When you look at the fiscal irresponsibility of the federal government a proposal for a federal balanced budget amendment is ideal to be taken up by the States' legislatures, as many sovereign States have balanced budget amendments. Under the system of federalism, I support the efforts to gather a constitutional Convention of States consistent with Article V and honoring the 10th Amendment.”
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I’m dubious about this... what’s the assurance that the provisions of the current Constitution will remain? Liberals would love nothing more than to wipe away the 1st and 2nd Amendments.
“I’m dubious about this... what’s the assurance that the provisions of the current Constitution will remain? Liberals would love nothing more than to wipe away the 1st and 2nd Amendments.”
It’s just a means for the states to submit amendments to the states. Amendments that would never get through the Congress. 17 state legislatures could stop any amendment.
What is to stop the Dems and RINOS in congress from getting together and proposing amendments that squash conservatives?????
Congress can already propose amendments.... Have been doing so for 200+ years
An Article V CoS is only to Propose new amendments, something Congress can already do, but in effect BYPASSING congress with the interest of the states as a whole in mind....
Any amendment recommendations coming out of a CoS still require ratification by the States.
The biggest misconception about this process is the assumption that the Amendments resulting from the Convention would be immediately functional.
Find more at http://conventionofstates.com/
Article V ping.
You can’t change the Constitution with a minority!!! 2/3 of the states must ratify any changes to the Constitution!!
How many states must do this? Can’t one or two states put forth changes and have each State vote to ratify until you have the 2/3 majority vote!!!
2/3 of the states must ratify
Isn't it 2/3 of Congress, and 3/4 of states?
I'll look it up to make sure...
5.56mm
Proposal:
There are two ways to propose an amendment to the Constitution.
Article V gives Congress and an Amendments Convention exactly the same power to propose amendments, no more and no less.
Disposal:
Once Congress, or an Amendments Convention, proposes amendments, Congress must decide whether the states will ratify by the:
The State Ratifying Convention Method has only been used twice: once to ratify the Constitution, and once to ratify the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition.
Ratification:
Depending upon which ratification method is chosen by Congress, either the state legislatures vote up-or-down on the proposed amendment, or the voters elect a state ratifying convention to vote up-or-down. If three-quarters of the states vote to ratify, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution.
Forbidden Subjects:
Article V contains two explicitly forbidden subjects and one implicitly forbidden subject.
Explicitly forbidden:
Implicitly forbidden:
I have two reference works for those interested.
The first is from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative pro-business group. This document has been sent to every state legislator in the country.
Proposing Constitutional Amendments by a Convention of the States: A Handbook for State Lawmakers
The second is a 1973 report from the American Bar Association attempting to identify gray areas in the amendatory process to include an Amendments Convention. It represents the view of the ruling class of 40 years ago. While I dislike some of their conclusions, they have laid out the precedents that may justify those conclusions. What I respect is the comprehensive job they did in locating all the gray areas. They went so far as to identify a gray area that didn't pop up until the Equal Rights Amendment crashed and burned a decade later. Even if you find yourself in disagreement with their vision, it's worth reading to see the view of the ruling class toward the process.
Report of the ABA Special Constitutional Convention Study Committee
AGREED!
NOTHING IS TOO EVIL TO PUT IT PAST THE INTENTIONS OF THE SOCIALISTS.
Conservatives have been demeaned and discounted and HAVE simply sat and took/TAKEN it ... over and over. Conservatives seem to be afraid of saying any derogatory actions of the liberals. God help America.
Since we have turned more and more liberal as a nation, (abortions, same sex marriages, over spending outrageously, nearing fiscal irresponsibility), and still we sit and take it.
NOT SMART. We may see the destruction of our nation and most all that made it prosperous, and Christian, serving God and obeying the commandments of God Almighty, and the LORD Jesus Christ. God is not mocked.
Political correctness is destroying brick by brick the foundation of America. WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? TIME TO TURN TO THE LORD IN REPENTANCE AND TURNING AWAY FROM THE EVIL BEING IN CONTROL OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
PRAY FOR AMERICA TO DO THE RIGHT THING!
I was also opposed to any sort of convention until I heard Levin's case. Now I can see it's the only way to go for long-term change back to our founding principles.
Article V
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
That is all I’m going to say!!!
Hear Hear!!!
“You can’t change the Constitution with a minority!!! 2/3 of the states must ratify any changes to the Constitution!!”
No, 2/3rds of both the House and the Senate are necessary to submit amendments to the states (67%) but 3/4ths (75%) must ratify.
And to answer your other question, no states can’t just submit amendments to each other. They must come either from the Congress or from a Convention.
However, one of the amendments in Mark Levin’s book makes just this suggestion, an amendment to the Constitution to allow individual states to submit proposed amendments for other states to consider.
And since there are 26 Blue states then the chance of any amendment that Conservatives want being adopted is nill.
So we know what Mark Levin would propose as amendments. Do we know what amendments New York would propose? Or California?
“And since there are 26 Blue states then the chance of any amendment that Conservatives want being adopted is nill.”
Not true. You can’t look at this through the red/blue presidential lens.
Republicans currently hold control in 56 legislative bodies, to the democrats’ 41. In 26 states, the republicans hold both chambers.
Assuming things stay the same after November, and all 26 of those states pass several proposed amendments, that leaves only 8 to go. And unless the amendment itself has a ratification time limit, the amendment would just hang around until some of the other states’ control changed, which has happened frequently lately.
This is very doable. The congress isn’t involved and the governors wouldn’t be involved. Only the legislatures.
And as a bonus, in 2010 the republicans gained 700 legislative seats, and 19 legislative bodies. This may be another banner year, and with the democrats putting so much money trying to protect the US Senate, there’s very little extra for down-ballot races.
The Left already won. We have to take it back. Where have you been?
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