Bill Text: TX SJR2 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: 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 one or more amendments to the constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the terms of office of federal officials and members of Congress.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 92-0)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2017-05-11 - Filed with the Secretary of State [SJR2 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SJR2-Enrolled.html
| S.J.R. No. 2 | ||
| 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 one or more amendments to the constitution to | ||
| impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the | ||
| power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the | ||
| terms of office of federal officials and members of Congress. | ||
| WHEREAS, The drafters of the United States Constitution | ||
| empowered state legislatures to be guardians of liberty against | ||
| abuses of power by the federal government; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The federal government has abused its power by | ||
| creating a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent | ||
| spending; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The federal government has abused its power by | ||
| invading the legitimate role of the states through the manipulative | ||
| process of federal mandates that are to a great extent unfunded; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The federal government has ceased to abide by a | ||
| proper interpretation of the United States Constitution; and | ||
| WHEREAS, It is the solemn duty of state legislatures to | ||
| protect the liberty of the people and of future generations by | ||
| proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that place | ||
| clear restraints on federal power; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution | ||
| authorizes the several state legislatures to restrict the power of | ||
| the federal government through the amendment process; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution provides | ||
| that on application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the | ||
| several states Congress shall call a convention for the purpose of | ||
| proposing amendments to the constitution; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 85th Texas Legislature apply to Congress | ||
| to call a convention under Article V of the United States | ||
| Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing one or more | ||
| amendments to the constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the | ||
| federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the | ||
| federal government, and to limit the terms of office of federal | ||
| officials and members of Congress; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, unless rescinded by a succeeding | ||
| legislature, this application by the 85th Texas Legislature | ||
| constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V | ||
| of the United States Constitution until at least two-thirds of the | ||
| legislatures of the several states have applied to Congress to call | ||
| a convention for the limited purpose of proposing one or more | ||
| amendments to the constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the | ||
| federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the | ||
| federal government, and to limit the terms of office of federal | ||
| officials and members of Congress; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
| the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the | ||
| Senate of the Congress of the United States, and to all members of | ||
| the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this | ||
| resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as an | ||
| application to Congress for a convention under Article V of the | ||
| United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing one | ||
| or more amendments to the constitution to impose fiscal restraints | ||
| on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of | ||
| the federal government, and to limit the terms of office of federal | ||
| officials and members of Congress; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the secretaries of state and to the | ||
| presiding officers of the legislatures of the several states with | ||
| the request that they join this state in applying to Congress for a | ||
| convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for | ||
| the limited purpose of proposing one or more amendments to the | ||
| constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, | ||
| to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and | ||
| to limit the terms of office of federal officials and members of | ||
| Congress. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.J.R. No. 2 was adopted by the Senate | ||
| on February 28, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11; and | ||
| that the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 10, 2017, by | ||
| the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 10. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.J.R. No. 2 was adopted by the House, | ||
| with amendments, on May 4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 94, | ||
| Nays 51, two present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
