Maryland 2023 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SJ1 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1
6	6	P5 3lr1604
7	7	SJ 8/22 – EHE CF 3lr1611
8	8	By: Senators Ready, Bailey, Gallion, Hershey, McKay, and Salling
9	9	Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023
10	10	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
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12	12	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
13	13
14	14	A Senate Joint Resolution concerning 1
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16	16	United States Constitution – Amendments Convention – Limitations on Federal 2
17	17	Power 3
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19	19	FOR the purpose of applying to the U.S. Congress for an amendments convention called 4
20	20	under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, on the application of the legislatures of 5
21	21	two–thirds of the several states, to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution 6
22	22	that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and 7
23	23	jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for officials of the 8
24	24	federal government and for the members of the U.S. Congress; and generally relating 9
25	25	to an application to Congress for a convention to propose amendments to the U.S. 10
26	26	Constitution. 11
27	27
28	28	WHEREAS, Executive orders by the President of the United States have become a 12
29	29	vehicle through which the President may overstep the limits of constitutional authority; 13
30	30	and 14
31	31
32	32	WHEREAS, The concentration of power at the federal level has had the effect of 15
33	33	making federal officials less responsive to the will of the people and more readily influenced 16
34	34	by lobbyists, wealthy corporations, and special interests in Washington, D.C.; and 17
35	35
36	36	WHEREAS, Much of federal law is now enacted by federal bureaucrats who were 18
37	37	never chosen by the people and have no accountability to the people; and 19
38	38
39	39	WHEREAS, Policy decisions made at the state level tend to be more responsive to 20
40	40	the needs and desires of the people; and 21
41	41
42	42	WHEREAS, The federal government has created a crushing national debt through 22
43	43	improper and imprudent spending; and 23
44	44
45	45	WHEREAS, The federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states 24
46	46	through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a 25
47	47	great extent; and 26 2 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1
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51	51	WHEREAS, The states have the ability to restore the responsiveness of government 1
52	52	to the people and to restrain abuses of federal power by proposing amendments to the 2
53	53	Constitution of the United States through a limited Convention of the States under Article 3
54	54	V of the U.S. Constitution; now, therefore, be it 4
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56	56	RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That, as provided 5
57	57	in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, the General Assembly of Maryland respectfully applies 6
58	58	to the U.S. Congress for an amendments convention to be called as soon as two–thirds of 7
59	59	the several states have applied for a convention, for the purpose of proposing amendments 8
60	60	to the U.S. Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the 9
61	61	power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for officials 10
62	62	of the federal government and for the members of the U.S. Congress; and be it further 11
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64	64	RESOLVED, That delegates to the convention from Maryland may not propose 12
65	65	amendments that do not have the primary goals of addressing the goals listed in this Joint 13
66	66	Resolution; and be it further 14
67	67
68	68	RESOLVED, That this application constitutes a continuing application in 15
69	69	accordance with Article V of the U.S. Constitution until at least two–thirds of the 16
70	70	legislatures of the several states have made application for an equivalently limited 17
71	71	amendments convention; and be it further 18
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73	73	RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Secretary 19
74	74	of State to: 20
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76	76	(1) the Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, 21
77	77	President of the United States Senate, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; 22
78	78	the Honorable Patty Murray, President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, 154 23
79	79	Russell Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, 24
80	80	Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 2468 Rayburn House Office 25
81	81	Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 26
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83	83	(2) the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Benjamin L. Cardin 27
84	84	and Christopher Van Hollen, Jr., Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and 28
85	85	Representatives Andrew P. Harris, C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III, John P. Sarbanes, 29
86	86	Glenn F. Ivey, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, David J. Trone, Kweisi Mfume, and Jamie Raskin, 30
87	87	House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 31
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89	89	(3) the Honorable Debra Steidel Wall, Acting Archivist of the United 32
90	90	States, National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., 33
91	91	Washington, D.C. 20408; and 34
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93	93	(4) the Honorable Sonceria Berry, Secretary of the United States Senate, 35
94	94	United States Capitol Building, Suite S–312, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable 36
95	95	Elizabeth MacDonough, Parliamentarian of the United States Senate, United States 37
96	96	Capitol Building, Room H–209, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Cheryl L. Johnson, 38 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1 3
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99	99	Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, Suite H–154, United States Capitol 1
100	100	Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and the Honorable Jason Smith, Parliamentarian of the 2
101	101	United States House of Representatives, Room H–209, United States Capitol Building, 3
102	102	Washington, D.C. 20515, requesting that they publish this Joint Resolution in the 4
103	103	Congressional Record and list this application in the official tally of state legislative 5
104	104	applications for a convention of the states under Article V of the U.S. Constitution; and be 6
105	105	it further 7
106	106
107	107	RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State is directed to send copies of this Joint 8
108	108	Resolution to the presiding officers of both Houses of the legislature of each of the several 9
109	109	states, with the request that it be circulated among leaders in the legislative branch of the 10
110	110	state governments; and with the further request that each of the states join in requesting 11
111	111	the U.S. Congress to call an amendments convention for the purpose of initiating a proposal 12
112	112	to amend the U.S. Constitution as described in this Joint Resolution. 13
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