Bill Text: WV HCR47 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Calling a convention of the States under the Provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the US
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 55-5)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-06 - To House Judiciary [HCR47 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2015-HCR47-Introduced.html
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 47
(By Delegates Overington, Ambler, Anderson, Arvon, Azinger, Blair, Border, Butler, Cadle, Canterbury, Cooper, Deem, Ellington, Espinosa, Evans, A., Evans, D., Faircloth, Fast, Folk, Foster, Frich, Gearheart, Hamilton, Hamrick, Hill, Householder, Howell, Ihle, Ireland, Kessinger, Kurcaba, Lane, McCuskey, McGeehan, Miller, Moffatt, Nelson, E., Overington, Pasdon, Rohrbach, Romine, Rowan, Shott, Smith, R., Sobonya, Statler, Storch, Summers, Wagner, Walters, Waxman, Westfall, White, B., Zatezalo, Lynch, Moye, Perry, Phillips, R., White, H. and Williams)
Calling on and applying to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states, under the authority reserved to the States in Article V of the United States Constitution, limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.
Whereas, Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States guarantees to every state a Republican form of government which gives each state equal standing when calling for an Amendments Convention. Article V of the Constitution of the United States reserves to the several states the right to call for a Convention for the purpose of amending the United States Constitution when Congress or the courts or both Congress and the courts refuse to address an egregious wrong suffered by the people; and
Whereas, The states alone have the authority to "limit" the agenda and authority of a Convention. The states alone can call for a "Single Issue" convention by agreeing among themselves the purpose, terms, conditions, duration, and agenda for the Convention. Congress does not have the authority to define a "Single Issue" Convention. The authority of Congress, under Article V of the United States Constitution, empowers it to convene a convention as called for and defined by the several states; and
Whereas, The Founders of our Constitution empowered State Legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal government which has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and
Whereas, The federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent, and the federal government has ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States; and
Whereas, It is the solemn duty of the States to protect the liberty of our people—particularly for the generations to come—by proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States through a Convention of the States under Article V for the purpose of restraining these and related abuses of power; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the State of West Virginia hereby applies to Congress , under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a Convention of the States limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress. Absolutely no other business will be authorized at this convention; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the clerk forward a copy of this resolution, Legislative Call and application to the President and Secretary of the United States Senate and to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and copies to the members of the said Senate and House of Representatives from this State; also to transmit copies hereof to the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in the several states, requesting their cooperation; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at least two thirds of the several states have made applications on the same subject.
