FrankRep
12-17-2008, 10:14 PM
A Con-Con Call From Virginia? State Senator Plans to Introduce Constitutional Convention Resolution in 2009
Written by Larry Greenley (http://www.jbs.org/)
17 December 2008
Last week multitudes of concerned constitutionalists in Ohio killed a balanced budget amendment (bba) constitutional convention (con-con) resolution (http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/603) in their state legislature. Already this week we can see the early signs of a possible bba con-con call in Virginia in 2009.
The reason for widespread concern over state con-con calls is that 32 of the necessary 34 (two-thirds) states have already approved resolutions asking Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of adding a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution (View the "Beware Article V" video below for reasons why this is a bad idea). Although ten states have already rescinded their bba and other con-con calls in the last 20 years, which means only 22 states should still be considered to have live bba con-con calls, pro con-con forces will almost certainly claim that these rescissions are not valid. Even though the 10th Amendment should guarantee the right of states to rescind their con-con calls, the prudent course is to work to stop any further bba con-con calls.
Yesteday morning local state legislators and business leaders met in Harrisonburg, Virginia at a forum sponsored by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business. The four Republican lawmakers in attendance listened to concerns from the business community and outlined steps they would take to protect businesses in the current dangerous economy.
Republican State Senator Emmett Hanger revealed that he plans to sponsor a bill in the 2009 Virginia General Assembly (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=34082&CHID=1) that will "cause a few eyebrows to raise." According to a report on the forum posted today (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=34082&CHID=1) on DNRonline.com (The Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, Va.), Sen. Hanger "wants to get the states to call a constitutional convention to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring the federal government to balance its budget each year."
So there it is. Virginia state senator Hanger plans to introduce a bba con-con resolution in 2009. Many of the readers of this article have just gone through the con-con scare in Ohio last week, and therefore know what the reasons are for alarm at this new revelation of a planned con-con resolution in Virginia. If you don't already know why a con-con is a very dangerous proposal, then please take at look at this video, "Beware Article V."
Beware Article V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za8_pdJ1dPo
For those of you in Virginia, be sure to view the above video, then start educating your state senators and delegates about the dangers of an Article V constitutional convention. Work with others to be sure that a con-con call does not get approved in Virginia. I understand the legislative session begins in early January and only lasts about twelve weeks, so work fast. Take hope in the fact that ever since about ten years ago when the "Beware Article V" video became the primary educational tool to warn state legislators against con-cons, no new con-con calls have been made and seven states (including Virginia in 2004) have rescinded their con-con calls.
I don't need to tell readers of this article in Virginia to network to stop any con-con call. Large numbers of members of the John Birch Society, Campaign for Liberty, and many other like-minded organizations are already working in a coalition to repeal Real ID in Virginia.
Here are the states that have never issued a call for a balanced budget amendment constitutional convention: CA, CT, HI, IL, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NJ, NY, OH, RI, VT, WA, WV, and WI. Citizens of these 18 states should be particularly on the lookout for signs of an impending con-con call.
Here are the states that have rescinded their bba and other con-con calls: Alabama (1988), Florida (1988), and Louisiana (1990), Idaho (1999), Utah (2001), North Dakota (2001), Arizona (2003), Virginia (2004), South Carolina (2004), and Georgia (2004). Citizens of these states still need to be vigilant regarding early signs of con-con calls. Just look at what's about to happen again in Virginia as discussed above.
If you're a citizen of one of the remaining 22 states not listed in the above two paragraphs, then your state has an existing bba con-con call and hasn't rescinded it yet. We recommend that you network with others in 2009 and work to rescind ALL con-con calls on record for your state. Use the "Beware Article V" video as your main educational tool.
So, no matter where you live in the United States you can help preserve our life of freedom as secured by the Constitution by working with others in the JBS Community (http://www.jbs.org/index.php/jbs-community), the JBS.org Freedom Campaign Meetup Alliance (http://www.meetupalliance.com/jbs), or other like-minded groups to ensure that no constitutional convention is called.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/index.php/freedom-campaign/4282
Written by Larry Greenley (http://www.jbs.org/)
17 December 2008
Last week multitudes of concerned constitutionalists in Ohio killed a balanced budget amendment (bba) constitutional convention (con-con) resolution (http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/603) in their state legislature. Already this week we can see the early signs of a possible bba con-con call in Virginia in 2009.
The reason for widespread concern over state con-con calls is that 32 of the necessary 34 (two-thirds) states have already approved resolutions asking Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of adding a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution (View the "Beware Article V" video below for reasons why this is a bad idea). Although ten states have already rescinded their bba and other con-con calls in the last 20 years, which means only 22 states should still be considered to have live bba con-con calls, pro con-con forces will almost certainly claim that these rescissions are not valid. Even though the 10th Amendment should guarantee the right of states to rescind their con-con calls, the prudent course is to work to stop any further bba con-con calls.
Yesteday morning local state legislators and business leaders met in Harrisonburg, Virginia at a forum sponsored by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business. The four Republican lawmakers in attendance listened to concerns from the business community and outlined steps they would take to protect businesses in the current dangerous economy.
Republican State Senator Emmett Hanger revealed that he plans to sponsor a bill in the 2009 Virginia General Assembly (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=34082&CHID=1) that will "cause a few eyebrows to raise." According to a report on the forum posted today (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=34082&CHID=1) on DNRonline.com (The Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, Va.), Sen. Hanger "wants to get the states to call a constitutional convention to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring the federal government to balance its budget each year."
So there it is. Virginia state senator Hanger plans to introduce a bba con-con resolution in 2009. Many of the readers of this article have just gone through the con-con scare in Ohio last week, and therefore know what the reasons are for alarm at this new revelation of a planned con-con resolution in Virginia. If you don't already know why a con-con is a very dangerous proposal, then please take at look at this video, "Beware Article V."
Beware Article V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za8_pdJ1dPo
For those of you in Virginia, be sure to view the above video, then start educating your state senators and delegates about the dangers of an Article V constitutional convention. Work with others to be sure that a con-con call does not get approved in Virginia. I understand the legislative session begins in early January and only lasts about twelve weeks, so work fast. Take hope in the fact that ever since about ten years ago when the "Beware Article V" video became the primary educational tool to warn state legislators against con-cons, no new con-con calls have been made and seven states (including Virginia in 2004) have rescinded their con-con calls.
I don't need to tell readers of this article in Virginia to network to stop any con-con call. Large numbers of members of the John Birch Society, Campaign for Liberty, and many other like-minded organizations are already working in a coalition to repeal Real ID in Virginia.
Here are the states that have never issued a call for a balanced budget amendment constitutional convention: CA, CT, HI, IL, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NJ, NY, OH, RI, VT, WA, WV, and WI. Citizens of these 18 states should be particularly on the lookout for signs of an impending con-con call.
Here are the states that have rescinded their bba and other con-con calls: Alabama (1988), Florida (1988), and Louisiana (1990), Idaho (1999), Utah (2001), North Dakota (2001), Arizona (2003), Virginia (2004), South Carolina (2004), and Georgia (2004). Citizens of these states still need to be vigilant regarding early signs of con-con calls. Just look at what's about to happen again in Virginia as discussed above.
If you're a citizen of one of the remaining 22 states not listed in the above two paragraphs, then your state has an existing bba con-con call and hasn't rescinded it yet. We recommend that you network with others in 2009 and work to rescind ALL con-con calls on record for your state. Use the "Beware Article V" video as your main educational tool.
So, no matter where you live in the United States you can help preserve our life of freedom as secured by the Constitution by working with others in the JBS Community (http://www.jbs.org/index.php/jbs-community), the JBS.org Freedom Campaign Meetup Alliance (http://www.meetupalliance.com/jbs), or other like-minded groups to ensure that no constitutional convention is called.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/index.php/freedom-campaign/4282