Bill Text: TX HCR25 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging Congress to propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to the United States Constitution for the purpose of addressing concerns raised by the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-11 - Referred to Federalism & Fiscal Responsibility, Select [HCR25 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HCR25-Introduced.html
By: Burnam | H.C.R. No. 25 |
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WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of the | ||
Constitution of the United States of America that Congress should | ||
be "dependent on the people alone." (James Madison, Federalist 52); | ||
and, | ||
WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency "on | ||
the people alone" to a dependency on those who spend in elections, | ||
through campaigns or third-party groups; and, | ||
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court rulings in Citizens | ||
United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) and | ||
Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) removed restrictions on amounts | ||
and transparency in political spending; and, | ||
WHEREAS, the removal of those restrictions has resulted in | ||
the spending in elections becoming disproportionately dominated by | ||
corporations, unions, interest groups, and wealthy individuals; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of our | ||
Constitution that citizens should exercise their right to propose | ||
amendments to the Constitution as described in Article V of the | ||
Constitution; and, | ||
WHEREAS Article V of the United States Constitution requires | ||
the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention upon | ||
application of two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states | ||
for the purpose of proposing amendments to the United States | ||
Constitution; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, that the legislature of the State of Texas hereby | ||
applies to the United States Congress to call a Constitutional | ||
Convention pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution | ||
for the purpose of proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the | ||
United States of America to address concerns raised by the decision | ||
of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal | ||
Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 or substantially similar | ||
purpose; and be it further | ||
RESOLVED, that this constitutes a continuing application to | ||
call a constitutional convention pursuant to Article V of the | ||
United States Constitution until at least two thirds of the | ||
legislatures of the several states apply to the United States | ||
Congress to call a constitutional convention for the sole purpose | ||
of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to | ||
address concerns raised by the decision of the United States | ||
Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission | ||
(2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 or substantially similar purpose; and be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, that the Delegation shall not vote to propose any | ||
Amendment which does not have as its principal goal to address | ||
concerns raised by the decision of the United States Supreme Court | ||
in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. | ||
876 or substantially similar purpose; and be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Texas House of | ||
Representatives transmit copies of this resolution to the President | ||
and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United | ||
States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United | ||
States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United | ||
States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and | ||
to each Senator and Representative from Texas in the Congress of the | ||
United States. |