Bill Text: NH HCR8 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Applying to congress for a limited national convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution relative to elections.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-15 - Lay House CalendarR8 on Table (Rep. Granger): Motion Adopted DV 247-99 02/15/2024 House Journal 5 P. 61 [HCR8 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2024-HCR8-Introduced.html
HCR 8 - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2129
08/02
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8
SPONSORS: Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Phinney, Straf. 9; Rep. Newell, Ches. 4
COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs
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ANALYSIS
This bill applies to congress for a limited national convention.
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24-2129
08/02
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
Whereas the framers of the Constitution of the United States of America intended that the congress of the United States of America should be "dependent on the people alone" (James Madison, Federalist 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 of America 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 New Hampshire states that “all power [resides] originally in, and [derives] from, the people” and “Government [is] instituted for the common benefit,” therefore “the people may, and of right ought to reform” their Government as necessary for the common benefit (Bill of Rights, Articles 8 & 10); and
Whereas Article V of the United States Constitution requires congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to the federal Constitution on the application of two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states; and
Whereas, the New Hampshire general court 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 by addressing, inter alia, issues raised by the decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 and related cases and events, and desires that said convention should be so limited; and
Whereas the state of New Hampshire desires that the delegates to said convention shall be comprised equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office, or be selected by election, in each Congressional district for the purpose of serving as delegates, though all individuals elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, be prohibited from serving as delegates to the convention, and intends to retain the ability to restrict or expand the power of its delegates within the limits expressed herein; and
Whereas the state of New Hampshire intends that this be a continuing application considered together with applications calling for a convention passed in the 2013-2014 Vermont legislature as R454, the 2013-2014 California legislature as Resolution Chapter 77, the 98th Illinois General Assembly as SJR 42, the 2014-2015 New Jersey legislature as SCR 132, the 2015-2016 Rhode Island legislature as HR 7670 and SR 2589, and all other passed, pending, and future applications until such time as 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 by the House of Representatives:
That the people of the state of New Hampshire speaking through its 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 purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America that will restore free and fair elections as described herein, as soon as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose; and
Be it further resolved, that the clerk of the New Hampshire house of representatives transmit copies of this resolution to the president of the United States; the vice president of the United States in her capacity as presiding officer of the United States Senate, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the minority leader of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, to each senator and representative from New Hampshire in the congress of the United States with the respectful request that the full and complete text of this resolution be printed in the Congressional Record, 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 U.S. Constitution.
