Conservatives Prepare New Push for Constitutional Convention; 'The Last Line of Defense:' Conservative Lawmakers to Make Push for Constitutional Convention

Conservatives prepare new push for constitutional convention:

Conservative lawmakers will mount a new push to call a constitutional convention aimed at creating a balanced budget amendment and establishing term limits for members of Congress in an effort to rein in what they see as a runaway federal government.

State legislators meeting at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s policy conference here last week hope to use Article V of the Constitution, which allows state legislatures to call a convention to propose new amendments.

“It’s really the last line of defense that we have. Right now, the federal government’s run away. They’re not going to pull their own power back. They’re not going to restrict themselves. And so this Article V convention is really, in my opinion, is the last option that we have,” said Iowa state Rep. John Wills (R), the state’s House Speaker pro tempore who backs the convention.

At least two-thirds of states must pass a call to force a convention; so far, 15 states have passed the model legislation proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative group that backs free markets and states’ rights.

Bills have passed at least one legislative chamber in another nine states, and bills have been introduced in 17 more states. The 15 states that have passed measures so far all have Republican-controlled legislatures and Republican governors; another nine states totally controlled by the GOP have yet to finalize passage, according to Convention of States Action, a project of the conservative group Citizens for Self-Governance. --->READ MORE HERE

'The Last Line of Defense:' Conservative Lawmakers to Make Push for Constitutional Convention:

There are two ways to make changes to the U.S. Constitution, according to Article V of the nation’s founding document. First, Congress can propose an amendment to the states. Second, if two-thirds of state legislatures come together, they can call a convention and in that convention, amendments can be proposed, regardless of Congress’ approval.

The first method is the only one that has ever been used for the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. But now, conservative lawmakers appear to be pushing again for a constitutional convention of states, as the Hill reported.

This is by no means the first time that there has been an attempt to call such a meeting. The idea has popped up every few years. In 2016, 2018 and 2020 there were stirrings in state legislatures, but nothing came of the efforts.

If a convention was convened, it seems that lawmakers want to use the occasion to create a balanced-budget amendment and establish term limits for members of Congress.

“It’s really the last line of defense that we have. Right now, the federal government’s run away. They’re not going to pull their own power back. They’re not going to restrict themselves. And so this Article V convention is really, in my opinion … the last option that we have,” Republican Rep. John Wills of Iowa, the state’s House Speaker pro tempore, told the Hill. --->READ MORE HERE

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