House Concurrent Resolution 36

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION APPLYING FOR A CONVENTION OF THE STATES UNDER ARTICLE V OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES TO REQUIRE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT A BALANCED BUDGET.

WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal government; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States to place clear restraints on these and related abuses of power:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby apply to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that require the federal government to balance the federal budget.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application shall be deemed an application for a convention to address the subject herein stated. For the purposes of determining whether two-thirds of the states have applied for a convention addressing any of the subjects stated herein, this application is to be aggregated with the applications of any other state legislatures for the single subject of balancing the federal budget.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, and to the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in the several states, requesting their cooperation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the several states have made applications on the same subject.