1.1 	A resolution
1.2 	applying to Congress for a limited national convention for the exclusive purpose of 
1.3 	proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution that will restore balance 
1.4 	and integrity to our elections.
1.5 	WHEREAS, the framers of the Constitution of the United States of America intended that 
1.6 	the Congress of the United States of America should be "dependent on the people alone" (James 
1.7 	Madison, Federalist 52); and
1.8 	WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone to a 
1.9 	dependency on powerful special interests, through campaigns or third-party groups, that has created 
1.10 	a fundamental imbalance in our representative democracy; and
1.11 	WHEREAS, Americans across the political spectrum agree that elections in the United States 
1.12 	of America should be free from the disproportional influence of special interests and fair enough 
1.13 	that any citizen can be elected into office; and
1.14 	WHEREAS, Article I, section 1, of the Constitution of the State of Minnesota states that 
1.15 	government is instituted for the benefit of the people "in whom all political power is inherent, 
1.16 	together with the right to alter, modify or reform government whenever required by the public 
1.17 	good"; and
1.18 	WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution requires Congress to call a convention 
1.19 	for proposing amendments to the federal Constitution on the application of two-thirds of the 
1.20 	legislatures of the several states; and
1.21 	WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature perceives the need for an amendments convention 
1.22 	in order to restore balance and integrity to our elections by proposing an amendment to the federal 
1.23 	Constitution that will permanently protect free and fair elections in America by addressing, inter 
1.24 	alia, issues raised by the decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal 
2.1 	Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 and related cases and events, and desires that said 
2.2 	convention should be so limited; and
2.3 	WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota desires that the delegates to said convention shall be 
2.4 	comprised equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office, or be selected by election, 
2.5 	in each Congressional district for the purpose of serving as delegates, though all individuals elected 
2.6 	or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, be prohibited from serving as delegates to the 
2.7 	convention, and intends to retain the ability to restrict or expand the power of its delegates within 
2.8 	the limits expressed herein; and
2.9 	WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota intends that this be a continuing application considered 
2.10 	together with applications calling for a convention passed in the 2013-2014 Vermont legislature 
2.11 	as R454, the 2013-2014 California legislature as Resolution Chapter 77, the 98th Illinois General 
2.12 	Assembly as SJR 42, the 2014-2015 New Jersey legislature as SCR 132, the 2015-2016 Rhode 
2.13 	Island legislature as HR 7670 and SR 2589, and all other passed, pending, and future applications 
2.14 	until such time as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose 
2.15 	and said convention is convened by Congress; NOW, THEREFORE,
2.16 	BE IT RESOLVED that the people of the State of Minnesota speaking through its legislature, 
2.17 	and pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, hereby apply to the United States 
2.18 	Congress to call a convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the 
2.19 	Constitution of the United States of America that will restore free and fair elections as described 
2.20 	herein, as soon as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention for a similar purpose.
2.21 	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed 
2.22 	to prepare copies of this resolution and transmit them to the President of the United States, the Vice 
2.23 	President of the United States in his capacity as presiding officer of the United States Senate, the 
2.24 	Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States 
2.25 	House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and to each 
2.26 	Senator and Representative from Minnesota in the Congress of the United States with the respectful 
2.27 	request that the full and complete text of this resolution be printed in the Congressional Record, 
2.28 	and to the presiding officers of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting the 
2.29 	cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling Congress to call a convention for 
2.30 	proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution.