Topic: Did Michigan just trigger a constitutional convention?

[richb]

I have been noticing a few articles and pieces on the radio about this never used part of the Constitution on Amendments,   this is on Fox news today.   Haven't seen a discussion on this option on the part of the states here before.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/02/rare-option-forcing-congress-to-meet-change-constitution-gains-momentum/?intcmp=latestnews

My guess,  Congress will go out of its way to block this big time.   This is a checkmate that the citizens probably should have used a long time ago. 

[Pandora]

Congress can't block it.  The courts can't block it.  If either tries, the states are absolutely justified in proceeding anyway.

[trapeze]

Yeah, but the problem is that this has never been done before and some of the states have since rescinded their original vote in favor so no one knows if they still count or not.

[Libertas]

The other legalistic quibbling aside, there is no expiration date on consideration...all Congress can do is basically watch, if the states together decide the 2/3 threshhold has been met they can convene, and if a resolution is agreed to 3/4ths of the states in convention or in their legislatures then the resolution becomes an Amendment, period.

So seems to me somebody has to poll the states as to the status of their request and it seems to me the best way would be for officials in a Pro state start making calls and have their AG offer an opinion with respect to meeting the 2/3rds hurdle.

[Glock32]

Maybe a constitutional convention is what will finally kick off the 2nd Civil War. The liberals would try to use any such convention as an opportunity to upend everything and reorder it into a "right to a job; right to housing; right to birth control pills; right to happy ending out-call massage" charter. That's why arguing from first principles is so important. Too many on our side unintentionally fall into the trap of implicitly accepting that our rights come from a constitution or government allowance. They come from God and we have them because we exist. Full stop. No constitutional convention gets to change that.

If necessary, BITS.

[Libertas]

I added another acronym...

CMY - Critical Mass Yet?

I think the time has come where the event is quite near...