86R10876 BEF-D
By: Nevárez H.J.R. No. 121
A JOINT RESOLUTION
applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention
under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited
purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution
to ensure balance, integrity, and transparency in our national
campaign finance system.
WHEREAS, The framers of the United States Constitution gave
us a republic and 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
spending by third-party groups, campaigns, and out-of-state
donors, that has created a fundamental imbalance in our
representative democracy and eroded the people's trust in
government; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution 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 86th Texas Legislature perceives the need for a
convention to propose an amendment to the United States
Constitution to ensure balance, integrity, and transparency in our
national system of campaign finance and desires that said
convention be so limited to that purpose; and
WHEREAS, The 86th Texas Legislature intends that this joint
resolution be a continuing application considered together with
applications calling for a convention for a similar purpose until
such time as the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the several
states have applied for a convention and the convention is convened
by Congress; and
WHEREAS, A national convention would give us an opportunity
to come together as a nation to discuss solutions for ensuring the
integrity of our elections and renew the American people's trust in
government; and
WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution clearly
states that any amendment, whether proposed by Congress or a
convention, must be ratified by three-fourths of the states
(presently 38 states), ensuring that only the most reasonable
proposals with widespread support become part of our constitution;
and
WHEREAS, Notwithstanding any federal or state law, the State
of Texas desires that the delegates to a convention be composed
equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office,
or be selected by election in each congressional district in Texas,
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 the State of Texas intends to retain the ability to
enforce the responsibility and conduct of its delegation within the
limits herein expressed; now, therefore, be it
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 United States Constitution that will
permanently protect fair elections as described herein by ensuring
balance, integrity, and transparency in our national system of
campaign finance 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 Texas Secretary of State forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, the
speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, the
presiding officer of the Senate of the United States, and 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 on this subject.