Action Alert (sent to members whose legislator is on the House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee)
LWVSC strongly opposes H.3205, which calls for a federal constitutional convention. The effect of this joint resolution would be to cripple the federal government both financially and in terms of its authority to act in the public interest. We see this as a highly dangerous bill. Please take action before Thursday to urge your representative to oppose this bill! Please immediately contact your SC representative to urge strong opposition to H.3205, a bill calling for a federal constitutional convention. The subcommittee willconsider the bill on Thursday morning, March 18.
Calling is much preferred! A friendly office assistant will answer. Identify yourself as a constituent of the representative and provide your personal perspective on the bill. Please do not use email unless you put CONSTITUENT in the subject line. Many legislators do not open their emails. It is more effective to call.
TALKING POINTS:
The joint resolution in H.3205 calls for a convention pursuant to Article V of the U. S. Constitution, “limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.” That is clearly not very “limited” and, even if it were, the language would be irrelevant. States would have no power to limit an Article V convention, once called. Our main concerns:
1. The intended goals of the convention include ending most federal regulation of private businesses, whether for the protection of the
environment, consumers, employees, civil rights, and more.
2. The “fiscal restraint” envisioned by the supporters of this resolution follows the overall logic of the “let's drown government in the bathtub” movement. Our nation would be devastated, and South Carolina would be in especially dire straits. Our state government and our entire state economy are utterly dependent on receiving far more money from the federal government than we send to Washington.
3. The language in H. 3205 ostensibly limiting the actions of a convention called under Article V is pointless. Constitutional scholars
agree that states cannot restrict the actions of such a convention. The convention would propose any amendments that they chose and would establish their own procedural rules.
4. Congressional term limits are not supported by the League of Women Voters. We believe that citizens have elections in which they
decide whether to retain incumbents. We do not need to intervene in that process through term limits.
5. The requirement that amendments come back to the states for approval simply kicks the can down the road, with the understanding
by bill supporters that when the time came, voters could be easily swayed to pressure their legislators by distorted presentations of
amendments through well-funded dark money campaigns.
The League understands this bill to be funded by billionaires who want a severely shrunken federal government so that they have the
unfettered power to do as they please, regardless of the consequences for the rest of us. For more information, please read Lynn Teague's article, "A Terrible Danger: Resolutions for a Federal Constitutional Convention," on p. 3 of the Winter SCVoter.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO FIGHT THIS DANGEROUS RESOLUTION!
Thank you for acting quickly. The Constitutional Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee will meet to address H. 3205 on Thursday, March 18, at 9:00 AM in Room 516 of the Blatt Building and virtually at www.scstatehouse.gov.
