Bill Text: TX SJR53 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Rescinding every application made at any time by the Legislature of the State of Texas to the United States Congress to call a national convention, pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, for proposing any amendment or amendments to that Constitution.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-29 - Left pending in committee [SJR53 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SJR53-Introduced.html
| By: Estes | S.J.R. No. 53 | |
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| rescinding every application made at any time by the Legislature of | ||
| the State of Texas to the United States Congress to call a national | ||
| convention, pursuant to Article V of the United States | ||
| Constitution, for proposing any amendment or amendments to that | ||
| Constitution. | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the years, the Texas Legislature has approved | ||
| resolutions officially applying to the Congress of the United | ||
| States to call a convention, under the terms of Article V of the | ||
| Constitution of the United States, to offer various amendments to | ||
| that Constitution; and | ||
| WHEREAS, With no statutory or constitutional infrastructure | ||
| currently in place that would address such basic concerns as how | ||
| such a convention would operate procedurally, who would serve as | ||
| delegates, how many delegates there would be, and whether or not | ||
| such a convention could be limited to just one subject, among | ||
| several other lingering issues, it would be unwise for this country | ||
| to initiate such a convention; and | ||
| WHEREAS, While no Article V convention has yet taken place | ||
| thus far in American history, nevertheless, there is a very real | ||
| possibility that one, or more than one, could be triggered at some | ||
| point in the future, the results of which cannot be predicted; and | ||
| WHEREAS, As recently as the 1980s, our nation came | ||
| dangerously close to an Article V convention ostensibly for the | ||
| otherwise laudable goal of adding an amendment to the United States | ||
| Constitution to require that the budget of the federal government | ||
| be balanced; and | ||
| WHEREAS, From 1988 to 2010, lawmakers in 17 states rescinded | ||
| their applications for an Article V convention for a balanced | ||
| budget amendment; and | ||
| WHEREAS, At the present time, given the numerous unanswered | ||
| questions surrounding an Article V convention, it should be made | ||
| abundantly clear that the Texas Legislature has absolutely no | ||
| desire or intention for Congress to call an Article V convention, | ||
| whether such a convention be for one single, presumably specific | ||
| proposed amendment, or be it for an amendment or amendments for | ||
| which no particular description or details have been set forth; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Regardless of their age, such past resolutions from | ||
| Texas lawmakers remain alive and valid until such time as they are | ||
| later formally rescinded; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas, | ||
| Regular Session, 2013, hereby officially rescinds, repeals, | ||
| revokes, and nullifies any and all prior applications from Texas | ||
| legislators applying to the United States Congress for the calling | ||
| of a convention pursuant to Article V of the United States | ||
| Constitution, regardless of how old such previous applications | ||
| might be, and irrespective of what subject matters such | ||
| applications pertained to; and be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in a manner which would furnish confirmation | ||
| of delivery and tracking while en route, the Texas Secretary of | ||
| State shall transmit properly-certified copies of this joint | ||
| resolution of rescission, pursuant to the Standing Rules of the | ||
| United States Senate (namely, Rule VII, paragraphs 4, 5, and 6), to | ||
| the Vice-President of the United States (in his capacity as | ||
| presiding officer of the United States Senate and addressed to him | ||
| at the office which he maintains inside the United States Capitol | ||
| Building); to the Secretary and Parliamentarian of the United | ||
| States Senate; and to both United States Senators representing | ||
| Texas; accompanied by a cover letter to each addressee drawing | ||
| attention to the fact that it is the 83rd Texas Legislature's | ||
| courteous, yet firm, request that the full and complete verbatim | ||
| text of this joint resolution be duly published in the United States | ||
| Senate's portion of the Congressional Record, as an official | ||
| memorial to the United States Senate, and that this joint | ||
| resolution be referred to whichever committee or committees of the | ||
| United States Senate have appropriate jurisdiction in this matter, | ||
| and be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in a manner which would furnish confirmation | ||
| of delivery and tracking while en route, the Texas Secretary of | ||
| State shall likewise transmit properly-certified copies of this | ||
| joint resolution of rescission, pursuant to the Rules of the United | ||
| States House of Representatives (namely, Rule XII, clauses 3 and | ||
| 7), to the Speaker, Clerk, and Parliamentarian of the United States | ||
| House of Representatives; and to all members of the United States | ||
| House of Representatives who represent districts in Texas; likewise | ||
| accompanied by a cover letter to each addressee drawing attention | ||
| to the fact that it is the 83rd Texas Legislature's courteous, yet | ||
| firm, request that the substance of this joint resolution be | ||
| accurately summarized in the United States House of | ||
| Representatives' portion of the Congressional Record, as an | ||
| official memorial to the United States House of Representatives, | ||
| and that this joint resolution be referred to whichever committee | ||
| or committees of the United States House of Representatives have | ||
| appropriate jurisdiction in this matter. | ||
