Madison amendment would restore balance

Since the founding of our nation there was been a continuing movement of power from the States to the Federal government. This shift is problematic as it means that an ever increasingly number of decisions that affect our daily lives are being made further away from us in Washington, D.C.

This is why I am supporting and currently carrying legislation in the Idaho House of Representatives to encourage the enactment of the Madison Amendment.

Currently two-thirds of the states have the power to call a Constitutional Convention, but unlike Congress don’t have the power to limit it to a specific Amendment. Because of this the States have never exercised this power out of concern that it could create a “runaway” Convention with unintended negative consequences.

The Madison Amendment would allow two-thirds of the State Legislatures to call a Constitutional convention solely to determine whether to propose a specific Amendment to the States, just as Congress is currently empowered.

This ability would allow the states to provide a greater check upon the federal government and give the American people a new tool to ensure fiscal responsibility. For example, unfunded mandates would likely end as the states would have the power to establish a Constitutional Amendment to ban them.

A Balanced Budget Amendment, requiring the federal government to balance their budget the same way Idaho is constitutionally required to balance its budget, could likely be put into place – no longer blocked by congressional leaders in D.C. unwilling to deal with the tough choices it would require.

Other Amendments to limit congressional power and shift decision-making back closer to the citizens would have a chance, as changes would no longer have to be proposed and approved by the same people who would be losing power.

Admittedly passing this Amendment will be no small feat as it will require the support of the same federal politicians that have blocked the common-sense Amendments described above. However, I believe it is politically possible because of the difficulty of suggesting that states should be denied the same ability to propose Amendments as the Congress. Particularly in the current political environment where many have joined the effort to support local control I believe there is a compelling case to be made that this is a necessary improvement to our Republic.

To me, the Madison Amendment represents a significant step towards returning power to the states and giving the People a new tool to hold their government accountable. I believe with a consistent effort and perseverance that it is an achievable goal.

To learn more about the Madison Amendment, visit www.madisonamendment.org. Feel free to call me at 1-800-626-0471 with any questions or concerns you have about the current Idaho Legislative Session.