HB 3625 Withdraws previous applications for Convention of States

This bill withdraws all previous applications from the Legislative Assembly for an amendment convention under Article V of United States Constitution and declares those applications null and void.

Article V of the United States Constitution establishes methods for proposing and adopting amendments to the United States Constitution. One method involves Congress calling a convention for proposing amendments upon application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (i.e., 34 of 50 states). Amendments proposed by a convention become valid only when ratified by the legislatures of, or conventions in, three-fourths of the states (i.e., 38 of 50 states).

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, interest in a U.S. constitutional convention is as old as the country and has ebbed and flowed over time. Direct election of senators was a topic in the early 1900s. In the 1940s and 1950s, many applications focused on federal taxing power. During the 1960s to 1990s, two issues came close to triggering conventions —apportionment and a balanced federal budget.

The Legislative Assembly has previously submitted applications to Congress calling for an amendment convention on various topics, however, no application, when combined with the applications of other states on the same topic, has been sufficient to meet the two-thirds threshold required by the United States Constitution. No application of the Legislative Assembly has resulted in Congress calling an amendment convention.

In 1999, the Legislative Assembly adopted Senate Joint Memorial 9, which called on Congress to disregard calls for a constitutional convention on balancing the federal budget. The memorial also withdrew all previous memorials from the Legislative Assembly calling for a constitutional convention to propose an amendment that would require a balanced federal budget, including Senate Joint Memorial 2 (1977).

The Oregon Convention of States is a national movement to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution to propose amendments that will impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.

HJM 3 Informs Congress that all applications for amendment convention under Article V of United States Constitution made by Legislative Assembly before effective date of chapter ___, Oregon Laws 2023 (Enrolled House Bill 3625), are withdrawn and are null and void.

The currect push is different from any passed adoptions. Perhaps we should clean the slate before adding another. But, there are diverse opinions, so make yours heard.