Article V Convention of States

The Article V Convention of States is picking up steam.

If two-thirds of states submit an application to Congress, Congress must then call a Convention of States to propose amendments to the Constitution. Each state must then send an appointed delegation to the convention, where the delegates will discuss and vote upon amendment proposals.

There is support for a Convention of States for the purpose of establishing term limits for members of Congress and a balanced-budget amendment for the federal government.

South Carolina and Virginia became the first two states to call for a convention. On Dec. 7, more than 100 state legislators from 32 states met in Washington, D.C., to begin the groundwork for filing a Convention of States.

Just recently, Governors Jindal of Louisiana and Pence of Indiana expressed support for a Convention of States to control Federal spending.

The danger involved is that a runaway States Convention may radically amend our system of government.

In 2012 The Hawaii House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for an Article V Convention which would:
(1) A declaration of the constitutionality of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), including the individual mandate requiring the purchase of health insurance;
(2) An amendment to Article I, Section 5, to prohibit the supermajority cloture requirement under Rule 22 of the United States Senate for ending floor debates and filibusters, to facilitate a more reasonable voting standard for cloture;
(3) An amendment abolishing the electoral college established under Article II, Section 1, and providing for the direct election of the United States President and Vice President by voters; and
(4) An amendment to Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, to require that Senate confirmations of appointments of officers of the United States be made by a simple majority vote within sixty days of the nomination.

I am opposed to those amendments suggested by the Hawaii House of Representatives. Perhaps, instead of a general convention we could have a specific convention to propose amendments to establish term limits for members of Congress and a balanced budget amendment for the federal government. Those are two amendments to the Constitution that we desperately need. The federal government bureaucracy is out of control and will never reform itself. The Article V Convention of States may be our best hope to save the republic.