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As Introduced

127th General Assembly
Regular Session
2007-2008
H. J. R. No. 8





Representative Huffman



Cosponsors: Representatives Grady, Brinkman, Setzer, Evans, Stebelton, Batchelder, Blessing, Adams, Mandel, McGregor, R., Bacon, Uecker, Zehringer




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A JOINT RESOLUTION
Applying to the Congress of the United States pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution to call a constitutional convention for proposing amendments.


BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

WHEREAS, With each passing year, this nation becomes more deeply in debt as its expenditures exceed available revenues; and

WHEREAS, Fiscal prudence requires that certain steps be taken to control the growth of the budget and eliminate excessive deficits; and

WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution requires the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention upon the application of two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states for the purpose of proposing amendments to the United States Constitution; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, hereby applies to the Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing to the states for ratification, an amendment to the United States Constitution containing the following provisions:

First, the amendment shall require the President to submit and the Congress to adopt only balanced budgets for all federal programs and agencies, except in times of war.

Second, the amendment shall grant the President the authority to disapprove any item or items in any bill presented by the Congress to the President in addition to the President's authority to disapprove entire bills pursuant to Article I, Section 7 of the United States Constitution.

Third, the amendment shall require the President to submit and the Congress to adopt budgets for all federal programs and agencies on a biennial rather than annual basis; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the United States Constitution until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have made application for a constitutional convention or the Congress has proposed an amendment to the United States Constitution equivalent to the amendment proposed in this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, if the convention called by the Congress is not limited in subject to the amendment proposed in this resolution, any delegates, representatives, or participants from the State of Ohio asked to participate in the convention are permitted to debate and vote only on the proposed amendment contained within this resolution or an equivalent amendment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That if two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states make application to the Congress to call a constitutional convention, the State of Ohio requests that such a convention be called not later than six months after the Congress receives the thirty-fourth application from a state legislature; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, the presiding officer of each house of each state legislature in the United States, and the news media of Ohio.