Kochs Bankroll Move to Rewrite the Constitution (via "Convention of States")

[CousinIT]

https://www.prwatch.org/news/2017/03/13229/koch-brothers-bankroll-constitutional-convention

A constitutional convention, something thought impossible not long ago, is looking increasingly likely. Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, if 34 state legislatures "issue a call" for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. By some counts, the right-wing only needs six more states. Once called, delegates can propose and vote on changes and new amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which, if approved, are currently required to be ratified by 38 states.

There are two major legislative pushes for a convention at the state level. One would attempt to engineer a convention for a balanced budget amendment only, and the other tries to secure an open convention for the purpose of limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. But once a convention is underway, all bets are off. The convention can write its own rules, resulting in a wide-open or "runaway" convention that can make major changes to the constitution and, some argue, even change the number of states required to ratify those changes.

If America gets saddled with a runaway convention, the Koch coterie of funders will be to blame. Most of the groups pushing the convention idea are being underwritten by one or more institutions tied to billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.

Attempts to Limit Topic of the Convention Likely to Fail

On Feb. 24, Wyoming became the 29th state to pass a resolution requesting a convention specifically to add a single balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Many of these legislative resolutions also attempt to set the rules for the convention and limit who can attend it to a select list of largely GOP state leaders.

Austerity advocates claim that they need only to convince five of seven targeted states—Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin—to get on board, and they will have enough states to convene a convention. As the Center for Media and Democracy has reported, three linked measures were just introduced in Wisconsin and were placed on a fast track to approval.

Another faction representing a broader "Convention of States" initiative is advocating an open constitutional convention to limit "the power and jurisdiction of the federal government." Because this open convention format would be called on a particular subject rather than a particular amendment, representatives would likely vote on any number of measures.

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And don’t believe them when they say they just want to “balance the budget”! They plan to achieve such “balance” by eliminating the key government agencies (EPA, DOE, etc) & federal programs (SS, Medicare, etc)

Link to tweet

Iowa voters! The Iowa House has passed Joint Resolution 8 calling for an Article V Convention of States to amend the US Constitution-as desired by #ALEC & #Kochs! The senate will vote ANY DAY! Tell ur state senators 2 vote NO! Contact info & more below #NoConCon #KochBrothers 1/

[BBG]

1. Ratification Requirements?

Worst case scenario, we get a constitutional convention and they devise some ugly regression, what are the requirements to ratify it and make it the new constitution? Wasn’t the original by unanimous agreement of all original colonies/states? Would the sane states be allowed a veto or an out from a new constitution?

[Wednesdays]

2. Highly doubtful.

They have just seven months to throw that thing together before the blue tsunami hits.