PRINTER'S NO. 3322
No. 400 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY FLICK, ARMSTRONG, BARRAR, SAYLOR, ORIE, CLARK,
KIRKLAND, HANNA, CORRIGAN, HERSHEY, GEIST, FARGO, READSHAW,
ZUG, HENNESSEY, WILT, YOUNGBLOOD AND SEYFERT, MARCH 31, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 31, 1998
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Petitioning the Congress of the United States to propose an
2 amendment to the Constitution of the United States for
3 submission to the states to provide the states a method of
4 offering amendments to the Constitution.
5 WHEREAS, The ratification of the Constitution of the United
6 States by the states created a balance of power between the
7 Federal Government and the states; and
8 WHEREAS, The Federal Government was granted certain limited
9 powers under the Constitution; and
10 WHEREAS, The Constitution requires, under the Tenth
11 Amendment, that: "The powers not delegated to the United States
12 by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
13 reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"; and
14 WHEREAS, By the combined actions of the Congress, the
15 Executive and the Judiciary, today, power is concentrated in the
16 Federal Government; and
17 WHEREAS, The original checks and balances created by the
18 founders have been eroded, and the Federal Government has
1 consolidated power and authority; and
2 WHEREAS, The Federal Government is more distant from the
3 people than state governments; and
4 WHEREAS, To achieve government of the people, by the people
5 and for the people, government must become closer to the people;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, There is a need for an effective mechanism by which
8 the states can offer amendments to the Constitution; therefore
9 be it
10 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
11 petition the Congress of the United States to propose the
12 States' Initiative Resolution as an amendment to the
13 Constitution for ratification by state legislatures, which
14 resolution shall be submitted to the states for ratification,
15 providing for the states a method through which they may amend
16 the Constitution; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That to achieve the purpose expressed above, the
18 States' Initiative Amendment shall provide that: Whenever three-
19 fourths of the legislatures of the states deem it necessary,
20 they shall propose amendments to this Constitution. These
21 proposed amendments are valid for all intents and purposes two
22 years after they are submitted to Congress. The said amendments
23 will be invalid if both houses of Congress, by two-thirds vote,
24 disapprove them within two years after their submission; and be
25 it further
26 RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk transmit copies of this
27 Concurrent Resolution to the President of the United States, the
28 President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
29 States House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and
30 the Speaker of the House of Representatives of each state's
19980H0400R3322 - 2 -
1 legislature of the United States and the Pennsylvania
2 Congressional Delegation.
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