Gaining Steam? Nearly 100 Lawmakers Descend on Mount Vernon to Talk Convention of States
Dec. 9, 2013 10:45am
Close to
100 legislators from 32 states met in Mount Vernon, Va., Saturday to discuss
the possibility of adding amendments to the U.S. Constitution through a
convention of the states.
Such a
convention, as outlined in article five of the Constitution, would allow state
legislatures to vote on amendments to add.
No constitutional amendment has been added this way, but some say the
Constitution specifically allows for states to use the convention as a means to
push back against the federal government.
Two-thirds
of the state legislatures, or 34, must approve an application for a convention
to occur, according to the Constitution’s article five. State legislatures would then send delegates
to the convention, each state getting one vote on proposed amendments.
For an amendment to pass and become a part of the Constitution, it would have
to be approved by three-fourths, or 38, of the state legislatures.
The
historic #MountVernonAssembly begins #liberty #federalism
I'm proud to represent Arkansas with @NateBell4AR @Bob_Ballinger
Rep.Alexander
Sen.
Jason Rapert
State
legislators stressed Saturday the bipartisan nature of support for the
discussed amendments, citing a recent poll that shows 74
percent of Americans support a balanced budget amendment while another 75 percent support congressional term limits.
Saturday’s
Mount Vernon meeting was organized by Indiana state Sen. David Long and
Wisconsin Rep. Chris Kapenga.
Still,
regardless of whether one thinks it’s a realistic idea, Virginia and South
Carolina have both pre-filed applications for a convention, meaning some are
taking the idea very seriously.
Saturday’s meeting represents the most recent attempt by legislators to discuss
seriously the possibility of adding amendments to the Constitution through a
convention.
You
can see more lawmakers’ tweets here.
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