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               CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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                   WHEREAS, An independent United States Supreme Court is an  | 
         
         
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            essential element of America's system of checks and balances that  | 
         
         
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            protects our constitutional rights; and | 
         
         
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                   WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has  | 
         
         
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            been composed of nine justices; and | 
         
         
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                   WHEREAS, The president and congress should be prohibited from  | 
         
         
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            undermining the independence of the court by changing the number of  | 
         
         
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            appointed justices; now, therefore, be it | 
         
         
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                   RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas  | 
         
         
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            hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to  | 
         
         
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            propose and submit to the states for ratification the "Keep Nine"  | 
         
         
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            amendment to the United States Constitution, stating that "The  | 
         
         
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            Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine  | 
         
         
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            justices"; and, be it further | 
         
         
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                   RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official  | 
         
         
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            copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to  | 
         
         
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            the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of  | 
         
         
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            Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the  | 
         
         
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            members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that  | 
         
         
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            this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a  | 
         
         
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            memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |