HF 3184

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/09/2020 05:45pm

A resolution
applying to Congress for a limited national convention for the exclusive purpose of
proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution that will restore balance
and integrity to our elections.

WHEREAS, the framers of the Constitution of the United States of America intended that
the Congress of the United States of America should be "dependent on the people alone" (James
Madison, Federalist 52); and

WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone to a
dependency on powerful special interests, through campaigns or third-party groups, that has created
a fundamental imbalance in our representative democracy; and

WHEREAS, Americans across the political spectrum agree that elections in the United States
of America should be free from the disproportional influence of special interests and fair enough
that any citizen can be elected into office; and

WHEREAS, Article I, section 1, of the Constitution of the State of Minnesota states that
government is instituted for the benefit of the people "in whom all political power is inherent,
together with the right to alter, modify or reform government whenever required by the public
good"; and

WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution requires Congress to call a convention
for proposing amendments to the federal Constitution on the application of two-thirds of the
legislatures of the several states; and

WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature perceives the need for an amendments convention
in order to restore balance and integrity to our elections by proposing an amendment to the federal
Constitution that will permanently protect free and fair elections in America by addressing, inter
alia, issues raised by the decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 and related cases and events, and desires that said
convention should be so limited; and

WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota desires that the delegates to said convention shall be
comprised equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office, or be selected by election,
in each Congressional district for the purpose of serving as delegates, though all individuals elected
or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, be prohibited from serving as delegates to the
convention, and intends to retain the ability to restrict or expand the power of its delegates within
the limits expressed herein; and

WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota intends that this be a continuing application considered
together with applications calling for a convention passed in the 2013-2014 Vermont legislature
as R454, the 2013-2014 California legislature as Resolution Chapter 77, the 98th Illinois General
Assembly as SJR 42, the 2014-2015 New Jersey legislature as SCR 132, the 2015-2016 Rhode
Island legislature as HR 7670 and SR 2589, and all other passed, pending, and future applications
until such time as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose
and said convention is convened by Congress; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED that the people of the State of Minnesota speaking through its legislature,
and pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, hereby apply to the United States
Congress to call a convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States of America that will restore free and fair elections as described
herein, as soon as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed
to prepare copies of this resolution and transmit them to the President of the United States, the Vice
President of the United States in his capacity as presiding officer of the United States Senate, the
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States
House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and to each
Senator and Representative from Minnesota in the Congress of the United States with the respectful
request that the full and complete text of this resolution be printed in the Congressional Record,
and to the presiding officers of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting the
cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling Congress to call a convention for
proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution.