Bill Text: TX HJR120 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Applying to Congress for a limited national convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to restore balance and integrity to our elections.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-20 - Referred to State & Federal Power & Responsibility, Select [HJR120 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HJR120-Introduced.html
85R12176 JRJ-F | ||
By: Hinojosa | H.J.R. No. 120 |
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applying to Congress for a limited national convention for the | ||
exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States | ||
Constitution to restore balance and integrity to our elections. | ||
WHEREAS, The framers of the Constitution of the United States | ||
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 | ||
campaigns or third-party groups, that has created a fundamental | ||
imbalance in our representative democracy; and | ||
WHEREAS, Americans across the political spectrum agree that | ||
elections in the United States should be free from the | ||
disproportional influence of special interests and fair enough that | ||
any citizen can be elected into office; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the State of Texas 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 85th Texas Legislature perceives the need for an | ||
amendments convention in order to restore balance and integrity to | ||
our elections by proposing an amendment to the federal constitution | ||
that will permanently protect free and fair elections in America, | ||
and desires that said convention be so limited; and | ||
WHEREAS, The 85th Texas Legislature intends that this joint | ||
resolution be a continuing application considered together with | ||
applications calling for a convention on this subject, such as | ||
those approved by Vermont legislators (2014 Vermont, Joint | ||
Resolution Senate No. 27, 160 Congressional Record S4331, | ||
POM-284), by California legislators (2014 California, Assembly | ||
Joint Resolution No. 1, 160 Congressional Record S5507, POM-320), | ||
by Illinois legislators (2014 Illinois, Senate Joint Resolution | ||
No. 42), by New Jersey legislators (2015 New Jersey, Senate | ||
Concurrent Resolution No. 132), by Rhode Island legislators (2016 | ||
Rhode Island, Senate Resolution No. 2589 and House Resolution | ||
No. 7670), and all other passed, pending, and future applications | ||
until such time as the legislatures of two-thirds of the several | ||
states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose and said | ||
convention is convened by Congress; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the State of Texas desires that the delegates | ||
to said convention be composed equally of individuals currently | ||
elected to state and local office, or be selected by election, in | ||
each congressional district in Texas, for the purpose of serving as | ||
Texas delegates, 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 intends to retain the ability | ||
to restrict or expand the power of its delegates within the limits | ||
herein expressed; and, be it further | ||
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 Constitution of the United States | ||
that will restore free and fair elections as described herein 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 chief administrative officer of the Texas | ||
House of Representatives or Senate transmit copies of this | ||
resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of | ||
the House of Representatives of the United States, to the vice | ||
president of the United States in the vice president's capacity as | ||
the presiding officer of the Senate of the United States, to the | ||
minority leader of the United States House of Representatives, to | ||
the president pro tempore of the United States Senate, to 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. |