Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants his state to start the movement to regain state’s rights.
During a speech at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation on Friday Abbott called for a Constitutional Convention to take power back from the federal government.
“If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,” he told the crowd to applause.
The governor also released a 70 page, nine-point, plan to go along with his speech outlining his proposal, the Dallas Morning News reported.
“The irony for our generation is that the threat to our Republic doesn’t come just from foreign enemies, it comes, in part, from our very own leaders,” he said.
According to the Morning News the idea has become popular among Republicans and has been supported by Sen. Marco Rubio.
This week, presidential contender U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., published a piece in USA Today endorsing the idea of a convention to amend the Constitution and restore limited government. In April, 27 active petitions had been filed with Congress seeking a convention to amend the constitution to require that Congress adopt a balanced budget.
Congress would be forced to act once 34 states joined the effort. So far, Cruz hasn’t endorsed the idea.
By this point, you may be wondering just what a constitutional convention or Convention of the States is and why it would be a big deal. A convention is one of two ways that the U.S. Constitution can be amended, and it’s described in Article V. One way is that Congress can propose amendments approved by two-thirds of the members of both chambers. The other method allows two-thirds of the state legislatures to call for a convention to propose amendments. Republicans backing the idea are confident that because they control state government in a majority of states, their ideas would prevail.
In both cases, the amendments become effective only if ratified by three-fourths of the states.
So far, the U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times. None of those were amendments generated by a constitutional convention.
“The only true downside comes from doing nothing and allowing the federal government to continue ignoring the very document that created it,” Abbott said as he spoke of his plan that included the following, according to the Morning News.
- Prohibit congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.
- Require Congress to balance its budget.
- Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.
- Prohibit administrative agencies from preempting state law.
- Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
- Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.
- Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
- Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
- Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation.
Listen to the speech in its entirety below.
Abbott also took his case to the people via social media.
“We need to ensure the rule of law is followed in Texas by banning sanctuary city policies.” #TXPO2016
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
DC is “imposing laws, rules & regulations that go FAR beyond a fair reading of the US Constitution.” — @GregAbbott_TX #TXPO2016
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
.@GregAbbott_TX: The federal government has repeatedly & egregiously asserted power not delegated to it under the Constitution #TXPO2016
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
“5 unelected, unaccountable people should not be allowed to rewrite the laws of the land without THE PEOPLE having a check & balance on it.”
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
“Congress is unable to control itself. So the people must impose control.” @GregAbbott_TX #TXPO2016
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
Read @GregAbbott_TX‘s “Texas Plan” to restore the Rule of Law in America: https://t.co/Y28uBpvdje #TXPO2016
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 8, 2016
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