TN legislators discuss convention to amend the Constitution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A couple hundred Tennesseans gathered at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel on Monday night to hear several state legislators discuss legislation seeking a convention of the states to amend the U.S. Constitution to limit the power of the federal government.

"We face a cliff that either we pull back from the brink of no return or we return ourselves to the land of liberty," said Scott Williams, the Tennessee state director for the Convention of the States. "For too long we have given this up for Friday night football, we have given it up for parties and Little League, and we're going to miss a few of those games. We're going to have to put this country first until we get back on the right track."

Williams kicked off the event with a short presentation on the Constitution, as well as what the issues were that CoS hopes to address with an Article V Convention of the States.

An Article V Convention of the States allows the state legislatures to call a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution, as long as two-thirds of the states approve, Williams said. And whatever amendments are proposed at the convention would not become active unless ratified by three-fourths, or 38, of the states, he added.

Williams pointed to his issues with the state of the federal government, such as the 17th Amendment, which created the popular election of senators, as well as the power possessed by the "alphabet soup bureaucracy," which he referred to as the "fourth branch of government."

"We would like to turn this on its head and return to the government our founders envisioned," Williams said.

By allowing the federal government to have as much power as it possesses, the nation was now "on a financial cliff" and facing at least $180 trillion in future unfunded liabilities from large federal programs, Williams said. Additionally, the American people are over-regulated in all they do — whether health care, the financial sector or in housing.

And because of the unresponsiveness of Congress to address these problems, Williams said, they were calling the convention with the hope of proposing amendments to impose fiscal restraints, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limit the terms of office for all federal officials.

Specifically, Williams said he would like to see term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court; the ability for states or Congress to override Supreme Court decisions; and the repeal of the 17th Amendment, as well as the 16th, which allowed the federal government to levy an income tax.

After the presentation, nationally syndicated talk radio host Phil Valentine moderated a legislative forum where the legislators sponsoring Tennessee's call for the convention discussed their views on the issue.

Taking part in the forum were Sens. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and Mike Bell, R-Riceville, as well as Reps. Jay Reedy, R-Clarksville, and Sheila Butt, R-Columbia.

Also in attendance at the forum were Sens. Mark Green, R-Clarksville; Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield; and Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown; as well as Reps. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown; Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet; Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro; Terri Lynn Weaver, R-Lancaster; and Dan Howell, R-Georgetown.

During the forum portion of the event, Butt, who said she'd initially been against the idea herself, downplayed the concerns of convention opponents that "crazy things" might be inserted into the Constitution. "The fact is it has to come back for 38 states to ratify, so the craziness is not going to happen," she said.

Additionally, Butt explained that state legislatures would be the ones to direct the rules of the convention, and there wasn't much chance of the convention becoming "runaway." She pointed to Tennessee's "faithful delegate" legislation, which made it a Class E felony for any delegates to do anything outside the direction of the state legislature.

"A convention of the states is the surest way and the safest way to preserve our self-governance and our liberty," Ketron said in closing. "We have to push this through the House so that we can become number five. If we become number five, other states will see it."

According to Williams, with legislation having been filed in 41 states so far, "there has been no other application in history" with as many simultaneous applications as now.

The measure has passed its first committee in 21 states, its first floor vote in 15 and has been approved by four states: Alaska, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

SJR0067 passed the Tennessee Senate in 2015 by a vote of 23-5.

The measure will be taken up by the House State Government Committee in January after the Tennessee legislature reconvenes for the 2016 session.

Reach government and education reporter Alexander Harris at 931-245-0742 and on Twitter at @ACHarris_Leaf.