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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The current Texas Constitution is this state's fifth |
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charter document since statehood, having been formed on the basis |
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of previous documents dating back to the days when Texas was an |
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independent republic; and, |
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WHEREAS, The proud independence of Texas has carried forth |
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inimitably through each of its constitutions, in both the Republic |
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of Texas and State of Texas constitutions, granting the government |
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limited powers and giving broad control to voters, thereby |
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embodying the principle of "consent of the governed"; and, |
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WHEREAS, First enacted in 1876, the Texas Constitution was |
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organized into 289 sections contained within 17 articles outlining |
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the scope, role, and limitations of governance in this state; and, |
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WHEREAS, Through proposed changes sent to Texas voters by the |
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legislature, sections within those same 17 articles have been added |
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and deleted, bringing our current document to 383 sections; and, |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 has expanded through |
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the ratification of proposed amendments, with 467 amendments being |
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approved, while 176 have been defeated; and, |
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WHEREAS, By far, the Texas Constitution is the nation's |
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lengthiest document; sections have been placed in the constitution |
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with apparent disregard for the appropriate article with which it |
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belongs; outdated bonding authority and other archaic references |
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remain bound in the document, despite previous attempts to address |
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non-substantive revisions to the Texas Constitution, the most |
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recent of which occurred in 1999; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 remains the Supreme |
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Law of the State of Texas, and a strong, independent statement |
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asserting the right of Texans to shape their government to their |
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view and their capacity to support it; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study a |
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non-substantive reorganization of the Texas Constitution; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings and recommendations, to the 83rd Texas Legislature in |
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January 2013. |