85R12176 JRJ-F
	By: Hinojosa	H.J.R. No. 120

	A JOINT RESOLUTION
	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.