Bill Text: TX HJR121 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to ensure balance, integrity, and transparency in our national campaign finance system.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-01 - Left pending in committee [HJR121 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HJR121-Introduced.html
86R10876 BEF-D | ||
By: Nevárez | H.J.R. No. 121 |
|
||
applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention | ||
under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited | ||
purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution | ||
to ensure balance, integrity, and transparency in our national | ||
campaign finance system. | ||
WHEREAS, The framers of the United States Constitution gave | ||
us a republic and intended that the Congress of the United States | ||
should be "dependent on the people alone" (James Madison, | ||
Federalist No. 52); and | ||
WHEREAS, That dependency has evolved from a dependency on the | ||
people alone to a dependency on powerful special interests, through | ||
spending by third-party groups, campaigns, and out-of-state | ||
donors, that has created a fundamental imbalance in our | ||
representative democracy and eroded the people's trust in | ||
government; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution states: "All political power | ||
is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on | ||
their authority, and instituted for their benefit" and the people | ||
have the right at all times to reform their government "in such | ||
manner as they may think expedient" (Section 2, Article I); and | ||
WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution requires | ||
Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to that | ||
constitution on the application of two-thirds of the legislatures | ||
of the several states; and | ||
WHEREAS, The 86th Texas Legislature perceives the need for a | ||
convention to propose an amendment to the United States | ||
Constitution to ensure balance, integrity, and transparency in our | ||
national system of campaign finance and desires that said | ||
convention be so limited to that purpose; and | ||
WHEREAS, The 86th Texas Legislature intends that this joint | ||
resolution be a continuing application considered together with | ||
applications calling for a convention for a similar purpose until | ||
such time as the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the several | ||
states have applied for a convention and the convention is convened | ||
by Congress; and | ||
WHEREAS, A national convention would give us an opportunity | ||
to come together as a nation to discuss solutions for ensuring the | ||
integrity of our elections and renew the American people's trust in | ||
government; and | ||
WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution clearly | ||
states that any amendment, whether proposed by Congress or a | ||
convention, must be ratified by three-fourths of the states | ||
(presently 38 states), ensuring that only the most reasonable | ||
proposals with widespread support become part of our constitution; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, Notwithstanding any federal or state law, the State | ||
of Texas desires that the delegates to a convention be composed | ||
equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office, | ||
or be selected by election in each congressional district in Texas, | ||
though all individuals elected or appointed to federal office now | ||
or in the past be prohibited from serving as Texas delegates to the | ||
convention; and the State of Texas intends to retain the ability to | ||
enforce the responsibility and conduct of its delegation within the | ||
limits herein expressed; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the people of the State of Texas speaking | ||
through their legislature, and pursuant to Article V of the United | ||
States Constitution, hereby apply to the United States Congress to | ||
call a convention for the exclusive and limited purpose of | ||
proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution that will | ||
permanently protect fair elections as described herein by ensuring | ||
balance, integrity, and transparency in our national system of | ||
campaign finance as soon as two-thirds of the legislatures of the | ||
several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official | ||
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, the | ||
speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, the | ||
presiding officer of the Senate of the United States, and all | ||
members of the Texas delegation to Congress, with the respectful | ||
request that the full and complete text of this resolution be | ||
printed in the Congressional Record, and to the presiding officers | ||
of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting | ||
the cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling | ||
Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments pursuant to | ||
Article V of the United States Constitution on this subject. |