HCR1 (2019) Detail

Rescinding all requests by the New Hampshire legislature for a federal constitutional convention.


HCR 1 - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2019 SESSION

19-0217

05/06

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1

 

A RESOLUTION rescinding all requests by the New Hampshire legislature for a federal constitutional convention.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Notter, Hills. 21; Rep. D. Thomas, Rock. 5; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock. 5; Rep. Potucek, Rock. 6

 

COMMITTEE: Legislative Administration

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This concurrent resolution rescinds all requests by the New Hampshire legislature for a federal constitutional convention.

 

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19-0217

05/06

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

 

A RESOLUTION rescinding all requests by the New Hampshire legislature for a federal constitutional convention.

 

Whereas, the New Hampshire legislature, acting with the best of intentions, has, at various times, and during various sessions, previously made applications to the Congress of the United States of America to call one or more conventions to propose either one or more amendments regarding one or more specific subjects or purposes, or to call a general convention to propose an unspecified and unlimited number of amendments to the United States Constitution, pursuant to the provisions of Article V thereof; and

Whereas, the Declaration of Independence proclaims that "it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish" their form of government whenever it fails to secure their rights, which implies that a convention of representatives of the sovereign people in an Article V "convention for proposing amendments" would have the inherent power to propose sweeping changes to the Constitution (also known as a "runaway" convention), any limitations or restrictions purportedly imposed by the states in applying for such a convention or conventions to the contrary notwithstanding, thereby creating an imminent peril to the well-established rights of the citizens and the duties of various levels of government as defined by our present Constitution; and

Whereas, the Constitution of the United States of America has been amended many times in the history of this nation and may be amended many more times, without the need to resort to an Article V constitutional convention, and has been interpreted for more than 200 years and has been found to be a sound document which protects the lives and liberties of the citizens; and

Whereas, there is no need for, rather, there is great danger in, subjecting our form of government, which is based on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to sweeping changes that would undermine its philosophical foundation of instituting government based on the principle of securing God-given rights; and

Whereas, the best solution for reining in the federal government is an informed electorate which will hold public officials accountable to our existing Constitution with its principles of limited government, rather than risking a runaway Article V convention; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the New Hampshire legislature does hereby rescind, repeal, cancel, nullify, and supersede to the same effect as if they had never been passed, any and all extant applications by the New Hampshire legislature to the Congress of the United States of America to call a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, pursuant to the terms of Article V thereof, regardless of when or by which session or sessions of the legislature such applications were made and regardless of whether such applications were for a limited convention to propose one or more amendments regarding one or more specific subjects or purposes or for a general convention to propose an unlimited number of amendments upon an unlimited number of subjects; and

That the New Hampshire legislature urges the legislatures of each and every state which has applied to Congress to call a convention for either a general or a limited constitutional convention, to repeal, and withdraw such applications; and

That the clerk of the house of representatives is hereby authorized and directed to send copies of this resolution to the Secretary of State, to the presiding officers of both houses of the legislatures of each state in the Union, to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, to the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, and to the members of Congress of the United States representing the state and people of New Hampshire.

Links


Date Body Type
Feb. 6, 2019 House Hearing
Feb. 13, 2019 House Exec Session
House Floor Vote
Feb. 27, 2019 House Floor Vote
March 7, 2019 House Floor Vote

Bill Text Revisions

HCR1 Revision: 4455 Date: Dec. 26, 2018, 3:18 p.m.

Docket


: Died on Table


March 7, 2019: Lay on Table (Rep. Ley): MA DV 322-22 03/07/2019 HJ 8 P. 55


: Special Order to 03/07/2019 Without Objection HJ 7 P. 62


: Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate


Feb. 27, 2019: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass for 02/27/2019 (Vote 8-6; RC) HC 13 P. 32


: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass (Vote 8-6; RC)


Feb. 13, 2019: Executive Session: 02/13/2019 12:30 pm LOB 303


Feb. 6, 2019: Public Hearing: 02/06/2019 01:00 pm LOB 303


Jan. 2, 2019: Introduced 01/02/2019 and referred to Legislative Administration HJ 2 P. 46