SAY NO TO ARTICLE V

 

Republican state legislators are proposing a reckless way to try to amend the U.S. Constitution—and for reckless purposes.

The proposal for a convention of the states is often called an Article V proposal, after the article in the Constitution that establishes two ways for amending the constitution.

One is the usual way, where two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate approve the amendment and then three-quarters of the states ratify it.

The other way is for two-thirds of the states to call for a constitutional convention and then have three-quarters of the states approve what the convention proposes. It is this latter way that goes by the Article V name these days. 

This is an extremely dangerous way to try to amend the Constitution because once enough states have signed on, you’re going to wake up one day and there’s going to be a convention of the states. Everything in our Constitution could be on the table—including our most cherished rights!

This current call for a convention of the states is enormously sweeping. It includes “limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.” But that is what the whole Constitution is about!

This means that at the convention of the states, there is no limit whatsoever about what they can do.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign opposes the Article V route and this specific proposal for a convention of the states. We urge you to contact your legislators and oppose AJR77 and SJR57.

 

(This article is from Big Money Bulletin written by Matt Rothschild, director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. You can read more at www.wisdc.org.)

 

 

 

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