85R12176 JRJ-F
By: Hinojosa H.J.R. No. 120
A JOINT RESOLUTION
applying to Congress for a limited national convention for the
exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States
Constitution to restore balance and integrity to our elections.
WHEREAS, The framers of the Constitution of the United States
intended that the Congress of the United States should be
"dependent on the people alone" (James Madison, Federalist No. 52);
and
WHEREAS, That dependency has evolved from a dependency on the
people alone to a dependency on powerful special interests, through
campaigns or third-party groups, that has created a fundamental
imbalance in our representative democracy; and
WHEREAS, Americans across the political spectrum agree that
elections in the United States should be free from the
disproportional influence of special interests and fair enough that
any citizen can be elected into office; and
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the State of Texas states: "All
political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments
are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit"
and the people have the right at all times to reform their
government "in such manner as they may think expedient" (Section 2,
Article I); and
WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution requires
Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to that
constitution on the application of two-thirds of the legislatures
of the several states; and
WHEREAS, The 85th Texas Legislature perceives the need for an
amendments convention in order to restore balance and integrity to
our elections by proposing an amendment to the federal constitution
that will permanently protect free and fair elections in America,
and desires that said convention be so limited; and
WHEREAS, The 85th Texas Legislature intends that this joint
resolution be a continuing application considered together with
applications calling for a convention on this subject, such as
those approved by Vermont legislators (2014 Vermont, Joint
Resolution Senate No. 27, 160 Congressional Record S4331,
POM-284), by California legislators (2014 California, Assembly
Joint Resolution No. 1, 160 Congressional Record S5507, POM-320),
by Illinois legislators (2014 Illinois, Senate Joint Resolution
No. 42), by New Jersey legislators (2015 New Jersey, Senate
Concurrent Resolution No. 132), by Rhode Island legislators (2016
Rhode Island, Senate Resolution No. 2589 and House Resolution
No. 7670), and all other passed, pending, and future applications
until such time as the legislatures of two-thirds of the several
states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose and said
convention is convened by Congress; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the State of Texas desires that the delegates
to said convention be composed equally of individuals currently
elected to state and local office, or be selected by election, in
each congressional district in Texas, for the purpose of serving as
Texas delegates, though all individuals elected or appointed to
federal office now, or in the past, be prohibited from serving as
Texas delegates to the convention and intends to retain the ability
to restrict or expand the power of its delegates within the limits
herein expressed; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the people of the State of Texas speaking
through their legislature, and pursuant to Article V of the United
States Constitution, hereby apply to the United States Congress to
call a convention for the exclusive and limited purpose of
proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
that will restore free and fair elections as described herein as
soon as two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have
applied for a convention for a similar purpose; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the chief administrative officer of the Texas
House of Representatives or Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of
the House of Representatives of the United States, to the vice
president of the United States in the vice president's capacity as
the presiding officer of the Senate of the United States, to the
minority leader of the United States House of Representatives, to
the president pro tempore of the United States Senate, to all
members of the Texas delegation to Congress, with the respectful
request that the full and complete text of this resolution be
printed in the Congressional Record, and to the presiding officers
of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting
the cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling
Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments pursuant to
Article V of the United States Constitution.