UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 837
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A JOINT RESOLUTION applying for an Article V Convention to propose an 1
amendment to the Constitution of the United States to set a limit on the number of terms 2
of office for members of Congress. 3
WHEREAS, in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995), the United 4
States Supreme Court declared that states could not individually impose term limits on 5
their own federal delegations through state statutes, but could collectively pass a term 6
limits amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and 7
WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States requires Congress to 8
propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States upon a vote of two-thirds of 9
both the House and Senate or call a Constitutional Convention upon application of two-10
thirds of state legislatures, and requires ratification by 38 states for the proposal to 11
become law; and 12
WHEREAS, without term limits, congressional members have an advantage in 13
elections that virtually guarantees a lifetime of reelections; and 14
WHEREAS, term limits for members of Congress will allow an equal balance of 15
power to all states, with leadership positions based on merit instead of political favors 16
and tenure of members; 17
NOW, THEREFORE, 18
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 19
Section 1. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky makes an 20
application to Congress, as provided by Article V of the Constitution of the United States, 21
to call a convention limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 22
States to set a limit on the number of terms that a member may be elected to Congress. 23
Section 2. The Secretary of State is directed to transmit copies of this 24
application to the President and Secretary of the United States Senate; the Speaker, Clerk, 25
and Judiciary Committee chair of the United States House of Representatives; members 26
of the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives; members of Kentucky's 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 837
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congressional delegation; and the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in 1
the several states, requesting their cooperation. 2
Section 3. This application shall be considered as covering the same subject 3
matter as the applications from other states to Congress to call a convention to set a limit 4
on the number of terms a person may be elected to the Congress of the United States, and 5
this application shall be aggregated with the same for the purpose of attaining the two-6
thirds of states necessary to require Congress to call a limited convention on this subject, 7
but shall not be aggregated with any other application on any other subject. 8
Section 4. This application constitutes a continuing application in accordance 9
with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at least 10
two-thirds of the several states have made an application on the same subject. 11