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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKochs Bankroll Move to Rewrite the Constitution
A few short months ago, I would have flicked this thought off, Now---who knows what can happen!
Sunday, March 26, 2017
by Center for Media & Democracy
Kochs Bankroll Move to Rewrite the Constitution
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/03/26/kochs-bankroll-move-rewrite-constitution
by Alex Kotch
The original Constitutional Convention took place in Independence Hall, Philadelphia in 1787.
A constitutional convention, something thought impossible not long ago, is looking increasingly likely. Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, if 34 state legislatures issue a call for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. By some counts, the right-wing only needs six more states. Once called, delegates can propose and vote on changes and new amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which, if approved, are currently required to be ratified by 38 states.
There are two major legislative pushes for a convention at the state level. One would attempt to engineer a convention for a balanced budget amendment only, and the other tries to secure an open convention for the purpose of limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. But once a convention is underway, all bets are off. The convention can write its own rules, resulting in a wide-open or runaway convention that can make major changes to the constitution and even change the number of states required to ratify those changes.
If America gets saddled with a runaway convention, the Koch coterie of funders will be to blame. Most of the groups pushing the convention idea are being underwritten by one or more institutions tied to billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.
Attempts to Limit Topic of the Convention Likely to Fail
On Feb. 24, Wyoming became the 29th state to pass a resolution requesting a convention specifically to add a single balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Many of these legislative resolutions also attempt to set the rules for the convention and limit who can attend it to a select list of largely GOP state leaders.
Austerity advocates claim that they need only to convince five of seven targeted statesArizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsinto get on board, and they will have enough states to convene a convention. As the Center for Media and Democracy has reported, three linked measures were just introduced in Wisconsin and were placed on a fast track to approval.................
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Kochs Bankroll Move to Rewrite the Constitution (Original Post)
riversedge
Mar 2017
OP
Jonny Appleseed
(960 posts)1. I'd welcome it if it were anyone else
The constitution is too dated
murielm99
(30,740 posts)2. Give me a fucking break!
This isn't alert-worthy, but it does not belong on this site.
Akamai
(1,779 posts)3. Thom Hartmann has long warned about the Kochs taking
Over our government in such a grab for power.