LRB-1245/1
JK:wlj
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
March 29, 2017 - Introduced by Senator C. Larson, cosponsored by
Representatives Crowley, Vruwink, Brostoff, Anderson, Hintz, Sinicki,
Goyke and Zepnick. Referred to Committee on Elections and Utilities.
SJR24,1,4 1Relating to: Wisconsin legislative resolution to restore free and fair elections in the
2United States and to apply to Congress for a limited national convention for the
3exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that
4would restore balance and integrity to our elections.
SJR24,1,75 Whereas, it was the stated intention of the framers of the Constitution of the
6United States of America that the Congress of the United States of America should
7be “dependent on the people alone" (James Madison, Federalist 52); and
SJR24,1,118 Whereas, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone
9to a dependency on powerful special interests, through campaigns or through
10third-party groups, that has created a fundamental imbalance in our representative
11democracy; and
SJR24,1,1512 Whereas, Americans across the political spectrum agree that elections in the
13United States of America should be free from the disproportional influence of special
14interests and should be fair enough that any eligible citizen can be elected into office;
15and
SJR24,2,4
1Whereas, Article V of the U.S. Constitution requires the U.S. Congress to call
2a convention for proposing amendments upon application of two-thirds of the
3legislatures of the several states for the purpose of proposing amendments to the
4Constitution; and
SJR24,2,105 Whereas, the Wisconsin legislature perceives the need for a convention in order
6to restore balance and integrity to our elections by proposing an amendment to the
7U.S. Constitution that would permanently protect elections in the United States of
8America by addressing issues raised by the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in
9Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010), and in related
10cases and events, and desires that said convention should be so limited; and
SJR24,2,1511 Whereas, the State of Wisconsin desires that the delegates to said convention
12shall be composed equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office,
13or be selected by election, in each congressional district, except that all individuals
14elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, shall be prohibited from
15serving as delegates to the convention; and
SJR24,2,2416 Whereas, the State of Wisconsin intends that this be a continuing application
17considered together with applications calling for a convention passed in the 2013-14
18Vermont legislature as R454, the 2013-14 California legislature as Resolution
19Chapter 77, the 98th Illinois general assembly as Senate Joint Resolution No. 42, the
202014-15 New Jersey legislature as SCR 132, the 2015-16 Rhode Island legislature
21as HR 7670 and SR 2589, and all other passed, pending, and future applications, the
22aforementioned concerns of Wisconsin notwithstanding, until such time as
23two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention and said convention
24is convened by Congress; now, therefore, be it
SJR24,3,6
1Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the people of the
2State of Wisconsin, speaking through its legislature, and pursuant to Article V of the
3United States Constitution, hereby petition the United States Congress to call a
4convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution
5that would restore free and fair elections as described herein, as soon as two-thirds
6of the several states have applied for a convention; and, be it further
SJR24,3,10 7Resolved, That the Wisconsin delegation to a convention called pursuant to
8this resolution shall have no discretion beyond that granted by the Wisconsin
9legislature and that the legislature shall retain its authority to restrict or expand the
10power of its delegates within the limits expressed herein; and, be it further
SJR24,3,23 11Resolved, That the chief clerk of the Wisconsin Senate shall transmit copies
12of this resolution to the president of the United States; the vice president of the
13United States in his capacity as presiding officer of the United States Senate and
14addressed to him at Suite S-212, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20510; the
15Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; the minority leader of the
16United States House of Representatives; the president pro tempore of the United
17States Senate; each senator and representative from Wisconsin in the Congress of
18the United States with the respectful request that the full and complete text of this
19resolution be printed in the Congressional Record; the governor of each state; and the
20presiding officers of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting the
21cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling Congress to call a
22convention for proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the United States
23Constitution.
SJR24,3,2424 (End)
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