Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR77 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R6708 E
2	2	By: Klick H.J.R. No. 77
3	3
4	4
5	5	A JOINT RESOLUTION
6	6	rescinding the 1899 application of the 26th Texas Legislature to
7	7	the United States Congress to call an unrestricted national
8	8	convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for
9	9	proposing undisclosed amendments to that Constitution.
10	10	WHEREAS, In adopting Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, the
11	11	26th Texas Legislature, in the year 1899, applied to the United
12	12	States Congress to call a convention, under the terms of Article V
13	13	of the United States Constitution, ". . . for proposing amendments
14	14	to said Constitution . . ." that would be subject to potential
15	15	ratification; and
16	16	WHEREAS, That particular application--unlike subsequent and
17	17	more detailed applications from Texas lawmakers--did not prescribe
18	18	any boundaries on the subject matter of amendments to be discussed
19	19	or ultimately offered for ratification by such a nationwide
20	20	convention; and
21	21	WHEREAS, While indeed no Article V amendatory convention has
22	22	yet taken place thus far in American history, nevertheless, there
23	23	is a very real possibility that one, or more than one, could be
24	24	triggered at some point in the future--the precise results of which
25	25	cannot be predicted or contrived in advance; and
26	26	WHEREAS, At the present time, the Texas Legislature has
27	27	absolutely no desire or intention whatsoever for Congress to call
28	28	an Article V amendatory convention of a general, vague, and
29	29	unlimited nature; and
30	30	WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4 remains just as
31	31	alive and valid today as it was when it was approved by Texas
32	32	legislators 118 years ago; now, therefore, be it
33	33	RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas,
34	34	Regular Session, 2017, hereby officially rescinds, repeals,
35	35	revokes, and nullifies Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, Acts of
36	36	the 26th Legislature, Regular Session, 1899, calling for an
37	37	open-ended, unclear, and indeterminate Article V amendatory
38	38	convention to propose for ratification unspecified federal
39	39	constitutional amendments, which application was duly received by
40	40	Congress, and reprinted word for word in the Congressional Record
41	41	of December 11, 1899, at page 219, and which application was
42	42	referred to the Committee on the Judiciary in the United States
43	43	House of Representatives the very next day (Congressional Record at
44	44	page 280); and, be it further
45	45	RESOLVED, That, in a manner which would furnish confirmation
46	46	of delivery and tracking while en route, the Texas secretary of
47	47	state shall transmit properly certified copies of this joint
48	48	resolution of rescission--together with copies of Senate
49	49	Concurrent Resolution No. 4--pursuant to the Standing Rules of the
50	50	United States Senate (namely, Rule VII, paragraphs 4, 5, and 6), to
51	51	the vice president of the United States (in his capacity as
52	52	presiding officer of the United States Senate and addressed to him
53	53	at the office which he maintains inside the United States Capitol
54	54	Building); to the secretary and parliamentarian of the United
55	55	States Senate; and to both United States senators representing
56	56	Texas; accompanied by a cover letter to each addressee drawing
57	57	attention to the fact that it is the 85th Texas Legislature's
58	58	courteous, yet firm, request that the full and complete verbatim
59	59	text of this joint resolution--as well as the full and complete
60	60	verbatim text of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4--be duly
61	61	published in the United States Senate's portion of the
62	62	Congressional Record as an official memorial to the United States
63	63	Senate, and that this joint resolution--with Senate Concurrent
64	64	Resolution No. 4 appended thereto--be referred to whichever
65	65	committee or committees of the United States Senate that would have
66	66	appropriate jurisdiction in this matter; and, be it further
67	67	RESOLVED, That, in a manner which would furnish confirmation
68	68	of delivery and tracking while en route, the Texas secretary of
69	69	state shall likewise transmit properly certified copies of this
70	70	joint resolution of rescission--together with copies of Senate
71	71	Concurrent Resolution No. 4--pursuant to the Rules of the United
72	72	States House of Representatives (namely, Rule XII, clauses 3 and
73	73	7), to the speaker, clerk, and parliamentarian of the United States
74	74	House of Representatives; and to all members of the United States
75	75	House of Representatives who represent districts in Texas; likewise
76	76	accompanied by a cover letter to each addressee drawing attention
77	77	to the fact that it is the 85th Texas Legislature's courteous, yet
78	78	firm, request that the substance of this joint resolution--as well
79	79	as that of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4--be accurately
80	80	summarized in the United States House of Representatives' portion
81	81	of the Congressional Record as an official memorial to the United
82	82	States House of Representatives, and that this joint
83	83	resolution--with Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4 appended
84	84	thereto--be referred to whichever committee or committees of the
85	85	United States House of Representatives that would have appropriate
86	86	jurisdiction in this matter.