Texas Senate approves call for a Convention of States

[TexasTowelie]

The Texas Senate by a 20 to 11 vote gave intitial approval Tuesday to a call for a Convention of States to consider amendments to the U.S. Constitution to rein in federal power.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 was one of four emergency items called for by Gov. Greg Abbott in his State of the State Address.

The Senate also agreed to impose a state jail penalty on a legislator who violates his or her oath as a delegate to a potential national Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution.

The decision to impose jail time on a faithless delegate came on an amendment by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, that state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, the chief author of SJR 2, strenuously objected to, saying it would inappropriately criminalize legislative activity. Birdwell said he thought the most serious penalty the Legislature ought to be able to impose on a member is expulsion.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/texas-senate-approves-call-for-convention-states/t9V60uB2XRAdtPl7pnR6zH/

[Kahuna7]

1. Well that didn't take long. They hold almost enough power to push

through constitutional amendments.

[Amaryllis]

2. On its face this appears to be a good thing; in reality, very dangerous:

From Common Cause:"
Constitutional Convention

Big money's plan to shred the Constitution

This report sounds the alarm about a dangerous proposal bubbling up in state legislatures throughout the country. Sidebar

The threat is a constitutional convention, convened on the petitions of at least 34 state legislatures as specified under an Article V of the Constitution and empowered to rewrite or propose new amendments to that document. Its advocates span the ideological spectrum, including right-of-center supporters of new limits on federal power, from a constitutional requirement that the federal budget be balanced, to backers on the left of a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, a ruling that reversed decades of well-settled law limiting corporate political spending.

Common Cause strongly opposes an Article V convention, even as we strongly support a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United. We oppose a constitutional convention because we believe there is too much legal ambiguity that leads to too great a risk that it could be hijacked by wealthy special interests pushing a radical agenda that poses a very real threat to American democracy.

A convention of states drafted our Constitution in 1787, including Article V as one of several mechanisms for future amendments. Article V itself has never been used but would be triggered once 34 state legislatures submit applications for a new constitutional convention; it then requires Congress to convene a new convention to draft and submit new constitutional amendments to the states for ratification.

There are no settled rules or procedures to govern an Article V convention and it cannot be limited in scope. Though some constitutional convention proponents say they intend to pass a single amendment – to balance the federal budget or reverse Citizens United — there is nothing to prevent the convention, once convened, from proposing additional changes that could limit or eliminate fundamental rights or upend our entire system of government.

http://www.commoncause.org/issues/more-democracy-reforms/constitutional-convention/executive-summary.html

[delisen]

3. This is what the Republicans have been planning-the end of our Democracy.

The takeover of the state legislatures over the last 6 years has just about put them into a position to accomplish their goal.

2018 elections will be like a war.

[MedusaX]

4. Dangerous

These Gubners would love to put all of
Trumps Bat Shit Crazy ideas plus
Evangelical National religion, church school vouchers, no women's rights, no LGBTQ rights , no free speech allowed, no immigration, English language Only
Only property owners can vote
etc crap
straight into the Constitution