gotsnowgotslush
skates like Eck
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2007
- Posts
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Abbott calls for state power to nullify U.S. laws, Supreme Court rulings
Governor wants constitutional convention
January 8, 2015
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to
dramatically curtail the U.S. Supreme Court's power and slash federal oversight of states through a national convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Convening such a national gathering is allowed under the U.S. Constitution, but would be a difficult proposition. It would require approval by 34 states -- including Texas through its Legislature.
Even some Republicans open to the idea of a constitutional convention have pointed out that there is risk to the long-shot idea in that it could result in changes far beyond what those calling for it desire.
http://www.chron.com/news/politics/...ls-for-state-nullification-of-U-S-6745684.php
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...bott_calls_for_constitutional_convention.html
The fifth and ninth, though, are very specific and completely bonkers. (The ninth calls to mind nullification, one of the Southern concepts that helped bring about the Civil War.) Keep in mind that, given the way population is distributed, a "two-thirds majority" of states wouldn't actually have to include anywhere close to a majority of the country's population. (The combined population of the 34 smallest U.S. states, for instance, is slightly more than 100 million out of a total population of 318 million.) At this very moment, in fact, there are 32 Republican governors and 31 Republican-controlled state legislatures despite the fact that a Republican presidential candidate has only gotten more than 50 percent of the vote once since 1988. (George W. Bush got 50.7 percent in 2004.)
Abbott's proposal, in other words, could quite easily give a party that was in the minority nationally the ability to veto duly passed congressional legislation and to overturn Supreme Court decisions like Roe v. Wade or Brown v. Board of Education, destroying the balance of powers and, really, defeating the purpose of having a Congress or a Supreme Court in the first place.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/...ed-for-an-Article-V-Constitutional-Convention
Delivering the keynote address at the “Texas Public Policy Forum” today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Extremist) called for an Article V Constitutional Convention.
In a 90 page screed, Abbott proposes 9 (nine!!) amendments to the United States Constitution. He feels that these amendments “rein in the federal government”.
In no particular order, the amendments proposed by Abbott are:
(1) Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.
(2) Require Congress to balance it’s budget.
(3) Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.
(4) Prohibit administrative agencies from preempting state laws.
(5) Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
(6) Require a seven-justice supermajority of the U.S. Supreme Court in decisions that invalidate a “democratically enacted law”.
(7) Limit the federal government to powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
(8) Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials “overstep” their bounds.
(9) Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.
Governor wants constitutional convention
January 8, 2015
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to
dramatically curtail the U.S. Supreme Court's power and slash federal oversight of states through a national convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Convening such a national gathering is allowed under the U.S. Constitution, but would be a difficult proposition. It would require approval by 34 states -- including Texas through its Legislature.
Even some Republicans open to the idea of a constitutional convention have pointed out that there is risk to the long-shot idea in that it could result in changes far beyond what those calling for it desire.
http://www.chron.com/news/politics/...ls-for-state-nullification-of-U-S-6745684.php
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...bott_calls_for_constitutional_convention.html
The fifth and ninth, though, are very specific and completely bonkers. (The ninth calls to mind nullification, one of the Southern concepts that helped bring about the Civil War.) Keep in mind that, given the way population is distributed, a "two-thirds majority" of states wouldn't actually have to include anywhere close to a majority of the country's population. (The combined population of the 34 smallest U.S. states, for instance, is slightly more than 100 million out of a total population of 318 million.) At this very moment, in fact, there are 32 Republican governors and 31 Republican-controlled state legislatures despite the fact that a Republican presidential candidate has only gotten more than 50 percent of the vote once since 1988. (George W. Bush got 50.7 percent in 2004.)
Abbott's proposal, in other words, could quite easily give a party that was in the minority nationally the ability to veto duly passed congressional legislation and to overturn Supreme Court decisions like Roe v. Wade or Brown v. Board of Education, destroying the balance of powers and, really, defeating the purpose of having a Congress or a Supreme Court in the first place.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/...ed-for-an-Article-V-Constitutional-Convention
Delivering the keynote address at the “Texas Public Policy Forum” today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Extremist) called for an Article V Constitutional Convention.
In a 90 page screed, Abbott proposes 9 (nine!!) amendments to the United States Constitution. He feels that these amendments “rein in the federal government”.
In no particular order, the amendments proposed by Abbott are:
(1) Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.
(2) Require Congress to balance it’s budget.
(3) Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.
(4) Prohibit administrative agencies from preempting state laws.
(5) Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
(6) Require a seven-justice supermajority of the U.S. Supreme Court in decisions that invalidate a “democratically enacted law”.
(7) Limit the federal government to powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
(8) Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials “overstep” their bounds.
(9) Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.
They lose everything but the land and buildings, and god knows Texas doesn't have enough of those already, right? Geez, just listen to yourself. Did you post this as a joke?
