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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of the |
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Constitution of the United States of America that Congress should |
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be "dependent on the people alone." (James Madison, Federalist 52); |
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and, |
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WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency "on |
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the people alone" to a dependency on those who spend in elections, |
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through campaigns or third-party groups; and, |
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WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court rulings in Citizens |
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United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) and |
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Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) removed restrictions on amounts |
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and transparency in political spending; and, |
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WHEREAS, the removal of those restrictions has resulted in |
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the spending in elections becoming disproportionately dominated by |
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corporations, unions, interest groups, and wealthy individuals; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of our |
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Constitution that citizens should exercise their right to propose |
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amendments to the Constitution as described in Article V of the |
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Constitution; and, |
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WHEREAS Article V of the United States Constitution requires |
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the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention upon |
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application of two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states |
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for the purpose of proposing amendments to the United States |
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Constitution; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, that the legislature of the State of Texas hereby |
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applies to the United States Congress to call a Constitutional |
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Convention pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution |
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for the purpose of proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the |
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United States of America to address concerns raised by the decision |
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of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal |
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Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 or substantially similar |
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purpose; and be it further |
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RESOLVED, that this constitutes a continuing application to |
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call a constitutional convention pursuant to Article V of the |
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United States Constitution until at least two thirds of the |
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legislatures of the several states apply to the United States |
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Congress to call a constitutional convention for the sole purpose |
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of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to |
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address concerns raised by the decision of the United States |
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Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission |
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(2010) 130 S.Ct. 876 or substantially similar purpose; and be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, that the Delegation shall not vote to propose any |
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Amendment which does not have as its principal goal to address |
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concerns raised by the decision of the United States Supreme Court |
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in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 130 S.Ct. |
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876 or substantially similar purpose; and be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Texas House of |
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Representatives transmit copies of this resolution to the President |
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and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United |
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States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United |
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States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United |
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States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and |
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to each Senator and Representative from Texas in the Congress of the |
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United States. |