by Roman Buhler
The
North Dakota House today passed HCR 3039 to bar the ratification in
North Dakota of any Amendment from a runaway convention! The measure
will go before the voters for approval in 2014.
In the last few days both the Indiana Senate and the Georgia Senate have passed "delegate limitation/no runaway convention laws to enforceably limit the authority of any delegates those states might send to an Article V Convention.
Former Governor of VA George Allen has agreed to serve as an Honorary Co-Chairman of the Madison Coalition
More and more state legislators and other state leaders understand that they can act to protect our Constitution from the risk of a "runaway convention" and unlock the power James Madison intended states to have when he said in Federalist 43:
"It (the Constitution) equally enables the general and the State governments to originate the amendment of errors, as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side or the other"
Our "Madison Coalition" strategy is simple: Enact measures to prevent the risk of a runaway convention and "GIVE 2/3 OF THE STATES THE POWER TO FORCE CONGRESS TO PROPOSE A SPECIFIC AMENDMENT THOSE STATES WANT"
If 34 states who threaten a convention have the power to prevent a runaway convention by limiting the scope of the convention they threaten to a YES or NO vote on a specific Amendment the result will almost certainly NOT be a convention!!
Congress has NEVER called a Convention (which would be more powerful than Congress), but has always proposed the Amendment enough states want to AVOID a convention.
The Madison Coalition's primary goal is NOT to hold a convention. It is to EMPOWER 2/3 OF THE STATES to FORCE Congress to propose the specific Amendment those states want WITHOUT HOLDING A CONVENTION.
To ensure that states can limit the scope of a convention they threaten and thus to empower the states, there are FOUR measures the Madison Coalition supports:
#1 A 'No Runaway Convention" STATE LAW to strictly limit the authority of convention delegates from that state and to replace and punish delegates who violate the law and their pledge to honor it.
#2 A "No Runaway Convention" STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to bar that state from considering or ratifying any unauthorized Amendment..in other words an Amendment from an Article V convention that the states who called for the convention did not authorize the convention to consider.
#3 A "No Runaway Convention" U.S. HOUSE RULE to bar House floor consideration of any unauthorized Amendment.
#4 A "No Runaway Convention" U.S. SENATE PLEDGE by at least 41 Senators to block Senate consideration of any unauthorized Amendment.
if a "no runaway convention" law is in place in a majority of states with a majority of the U.S. population, a majority of convention delegates at any convention would be enforceably prohibited from voting for an unauthorized amendment.
If a "no runaway convention" state constitutional amendment is in place in just 13 states, it would be mathematically impossible for 38 states to ratify any amendment from a runaway convention.
And if the "no runaway convention" House Rule is in effect or 41 Senators have taken the pledge Congress could NOT refer an amendment from runaway convention to the states for ratification.
And anyone in Congress who sought to repeal a "no runaway convention" Rule or attacked someone who had taken the pledge would have to answer the question: Are you FOR allowing a runaway convention?
For those who want to protect our Constitution, and for those who want to empower states to restore a constitutional balance of power, the "Madison Law", the "Madison State Constitutional Amendment", the Madison House Rule" and the "Madison Senate Pledge" are very powerful tools.
What kinds of Amendments might result if 2/3 of the states could force Congress to propose an Amendment?
The easiest might be a simple amendment to ban unfunded federal mandates on states. In fact just the threat that states were considering such an amendment might be enough to dissuade Congress from imposing such mandates.
Another possibility is a balanced budget amendment to rein in the reckless level of federal borrowing that threatens our nation's future.
And an intriguing possibility is an amendment to require that Congress approve major new federal regulations.
If you would like to become more involved in this historic effort to empower states and protect the constitution please contact us.
We have a unique opportunity! Let's not waste it.
Leaders@MadisonCoalition.org
202 255 5000.
In the last few days both the Indiana Senate and the Georgia Senate have passed "delegate limitation/no runaway convention laws to enforceably limit the authority of any delegates those states might send to an Article V Convention.
Former Governor of VA George Allen has agreed to serve as an Honorary Co-Chairman of the Madison Coalition
More and more state legislators and other state leaders understand that they can act to protect our Constitution from the risk of a "runaway convention" and unlock the power James Madison intended states to have when he said in Federalist 43:
"It (the Constitution) equally enables the general and the State governments to originate the amendment of errors, as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side or the other"
Our "Madison Coalition" strategy is simple: Enact measures to prevent the risk of a runaway convention and "GIVE 2/3 OF THE STATES THE POWER TO FORCE CONGRESS TO PROPOSE A SPECIFIC AMENDMENT THOSE STATES WANT"
If 34 states who threaten a convention have the power to prevent a runaway convention by limiting the scope of the convention they threaten to a YES or NO vote on a specific Amendment the result will almost certainly NOT be a convention!!
Congress has NEVER called a Convention (which would be more powerful than Congress), but has always proposed the Amendment enough states want to AVOID a convention.
The Madison Coalition's primary goal is NOT to hold a convention. It is to EMPOWER 2/3 OF THE STATES to FORCE Congress to propose the specific Amendment those states want WITHOUT HOLDING A CONVENTION.
To ensure that states can limit the scope of a convention they threaten and thus to empower the states, there are FOUR measures the Madison Coalition supports:
#1 A 'No Runaway Convention" STATE LAW to strictly limit the authority of convention delegates from that state and to replace and punish delegates who violate the law and their pledge to honor it.
#2 A "No Runaway Convention" STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to bar that state from considering or ratifying any unauthorized Amendment..in other words an Amendment from an Article V convention that the states who called for the convention did not authorize the convention to consider.
#3 A "No Runaway Convention" U.S. HOUSE RULE to bar House floor consideration of any unauthorized Amendment.
#4 A "No Runaway Convention" U.S. SENATE PLEDGE by at least 41 Senators to block Senate consideration of any unauthorized Amendment.
if a "no runaway convention" law is in place in a majority of states with a majority of the U.S. population, a majority of convention delegates at any convention would be enforceably prohibited from voting for an unauthorized amendment.
If a "no runaway convention" state constitutional amendment is in place in just 13 states, it would be mathematically impossible for 38 states to ratify any amendment from a runaway convention.
And if the "no runaway convention" House Rule is in effect or 41 Senators have taken the pledge Congress could NOT refer an amendment from runaway convention to the states for ratification.
And anyone in Congress who sought to repeal a "no runaway convention" Rule or attacked someone who had taken the pledge would have to answer the question: Are you FOR allowing a runaway convention?
For those who want to protect our Constitution, and for those who want to empower states to restore a constitutional balance of power, the "Madison Law", the "Madison State Constitutional Amendment", the Madison House Rule" and the "Madison Senate Pledge" are very powerful tools.
What kinds of Amendments might result if 2/3 of the states could force Congress to propose an Amendment?
The easiest might be a simple amendment to ban unfunded federal mandates on states. In fact just the threat that states were considering such an amendment might be enough to dissuade Congress from imposing such mandates.
Another possibility is a balanced budget amendment to rein in the reckless level of federal borrowing that threatens our nation's future.
And an intriguing possibility is an amendment to require that Congress approve major new federal regulations.
If you would like to become more involved in this historic effort to empower states and protect the constitution please contact us.
We have a unique opportunity! Let's not waste it.
Leaders@MadisonCoalition.org
202 255 5000.
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