Senate Concurrent Resolution 570

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION POST-RATIFYING AMENDMENT XVII TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES PROVIDING FOR THE POPULAR ELECTION OF UNITED STATES SENATORS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, the Sixty-Second Congress of the United States, on May 13, 1912, by the required vote of two-thirds of the membership of both houses thereof, did propose to the legislatures of the several states an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which reads as follows:

"AMENDMENT XVII

POPULAR ELECTION OF SENATORS

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state Legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the Legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointment until the people fill the vacancies by election as the Legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution."; and

WHEREAS, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was declared, in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated the 31st of May, 1913, to have been ratified by the legislatures of 36 of the 48 states. The dates of ratification were: Massachusetts, May 22, 1912; Arizona, June 3, 1912; Minnesota, June 10, 1912; New York, January 15, 1913; Kansas, January 17, 1913; Oregon, January 23, 1913; North Carolina, January 25, 1913; California, January 28, 1913; Michigan, January 28, 1913; Iowa, January 30, 1913; Montana, January 30, 1913; Idaho, January 31, 1913; West Virginia, February 4, 1913; Colorado, February 5, 1913; Nevada, February 6, 1913; Texas, February 7, 1913; Washington, February 7, 1913; Wyoming, February 8, 1913; Arkansas, February 11, 1913; Maine, February 11, 1913; Illinois, February 13, 1913; North Dakota, February 14, 1913; Wisconsin, February 18, 1913; Indiana, February 19, 1913; New Hampshire, February 19, 1913; Vermont, February 19, 1913; South Dakota, February 19, 1913; Oklahoma, February 24, 1913; Ohio, February 25, 1913; Missouri, March 7, 1913; New Mexico, March 13, 1913; Nebraska, March 14, 1913; New Jersey, March 17, 1913; Tennessee, April 1, 1913; Pennsylvania, April 2, 1913; Connecticut, April 8, 1913.

Ratification was completed on April 8, 1913.

The amendment was subsequently ratified by Louisiana, June 11, 1914.

The amendment was rejected by Utah (and not subsequently ratified on February 26, 1913; and

WHEREAS, it is common for state legislatures to continue to act upon amendments to the U.S. Constitution well after those amendments have already received a sufficient number of ratifications in order to become part of that document; and

WHEREAS, the people of present-day Mississippi firmly believe that it is fitting and proper that official action be taken now to finally place upon Amendment XVII the special approval of the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MISSISSIPPI STATE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That Amendment XVII to the Constitution of the United States, quoted above and transmitted by resolution of the Sixty-Second Congress be, and the same hereby is, post-ratified by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State of the State of Mississippi transmit properly attested copies of this concurrent resolution to the Archivist of the United States, pursuant to Public Law 98-497; to the Vice President of the United States, as presiding officer of the U.S. Senate; to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; to both U.S. Senators and to all four U.S. Representatives from Mississippi with the request that this concurrent resolution's text be reproduced in its entirety in the Congressional Record.