HF 3960

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 05/17/2016 09:02am

A joint resolution
making a formal application to the Congress of the United States of America to
call an amendment convention for the sole purpose of proposing for ratification an
amendment to the Constitution which requires a balanced federal budget.

WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota is a sovereign Union member of the United States
of America; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States provides that "the United States shall
guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government"; and

WHEREAS, the fiscal and financial integrity of the federal government is necessary in
order that the United States can fulfill its duties and obligations to the several States according
to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has permitted the national debt to threaten
the financial integrity and solvency of the Federal government of these United States; and

WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States mandates that upon the
"Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States" Congress "shall call a
Convention for proposing Amendments"; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Minnesota deems an amendment to the United
States Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget is necessary for the general welfare and
the good of the citizens of Minnesota and the people of the several States; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it applies to the
Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention limited to the sole purpose of
proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that, in the absence of
a national emergency, the total of all Federal outlays made by the Congress for any fiscal year
may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year, together with
any related and appropriate fiscal constraints.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this application is to be considered among the
previously adopted balanced budget applications from other states, including but not limited to
applications from the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia; and that this application is intended to be
aggregated with the same for the purpose of attaining the two thirds of states necessary to require
the calling of a convention by Congress for proposing a balanced budget amendment, but shall
not be aggregated with any applications on any other subject.

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.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of Minnesota is directed to
prepare copies of this resolution and is hereby directed to transmit it to the Speaker and the Clerk
of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United
States Senate, the United States Secretary of State, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives
in Congress, and to the presiding officers of each of the legislative houses in the several States,
requesting their cooperation.