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InsidetheConservativePushforStatesto
AmendtheConstitution
ByMICHAELWINES AUG.22,2016
Takingadvantageofalmostadecadeofpoliticalvictoriesinstatelegislaturesacrossthe
country,conservativeadvocacygroupsarequietlymarshalingsupportforanevent
unprecedentedinthenationshistory:aconventionofthe50states,summonedto
consideramendingtheConstitution.

Thegroupsareanamalgamoffreemarket,lowtaxandsmallgovernment
proponents,oftenfundedbycorporationsanddeeplyconservativesupporterslikethe
billionaireKochbrothersandDonorsTrust,whosecontributorsaremostlyanonymous.
Theywantanamendmenttorequireabalancedfederalbudget,anideamany
conservativeshaveembraced,manyeconomistsdisdainandCongresshasfailedto
endorsefordecades.

Butasthegroupsneartheirgoal,criticsandsomeskepticalconstitutionalscholars
arewarningthatholdinganamendmentwritingmeetingwithnohistoricalparalleland
nowrittenrulescouldopenaPandorasboxofconstitutionalmischief.

Theprocess,whichisplayingoutlargelybeyondpublicnotice,restsonaclausein
Article5oftheConstitutionthatallowsthestatestosidestepCongressanddrafttheir
ownconstitutionalamendmentswhenevertwothirdsoftheirlegislaturesdemandit.

Thatwillbynomeansbeeasy.Evenifthetwothirdsthresholdwerereached,a
conventionwouldprobablyfaceacourtbattleoverwhetherthelegislaturescallsfora
conventionweresufficientlysimilar.AndaswithanyamendmentthatCongressproposes,
statewrittenamendmentswouldneedapprovalbythreequartersofthestateseither
bytheirlegislaturesorbystateconventionstotakeeffect.
 ButasRepublicanshavesurgedtocontrolofstatelegislaturesandmovedsharply
rightwardduringtheObamayears,whatwasonceapetprojectofthepartysfringehas
becomeaproposalwithaplausiblechanceofsuccess.SomeoftheformerRepublican
presidentialcandidates,includingcomparativemoderateslikeJohnKasichandJebBush,
haveendorsedastateamendmentconvention.

Sofar,28stateshaveadoptedresolutionscallingforaconventiononabalanced
budgetamendment,including10inthepastthreeyears,andtwo,OklahomaandWest
Virginia,thisspring.Thatisjustsixstatesshortofthe34neededtoinvoketheArticle5
clause.

Ithinktheprospectisverygoodin2017,saidGaryBanz,aRepublicanwhoisthe
majoritywhipintheOklahomaHouseofRepresentatives.Youcanlookatanynumberof
statesthatarenotonboardyet,andtheyrecontrolledbyveryconservativeelements.

IncludingnominallynonpartisanNebraska,Republicansnowcontrol31state
assembliesmorethandoublethenumberin2010.Ofthe11statesadvocacygroups
havetargetedforproconventionlobbyingnextyear,Republicanscontrolbothhousesof
theLegislatureinseven.

RepresentativeBanzisamongthoseleadingthecharge.Inadditiontohisstatehouse
job,heisthenationalsecretaryoftheAmericanLegislativeExchangeCouncil,knownas
ALEC,anonprofitfinancedbycorporateandprivatedonors,includingtheKochs,thatis
atthecenteroftheconventioneffort.

AtALECsannualmeeting,inIndianapolislastmonth,anotherleadingadvocacy
group,theBalancedBudgetAmendmentTaskForce,stagedaseminarforlegislatorson
anamendmentconvention.

CitizensforSelfGovernance,aTexasbasedgroupwithTeaPartyroots,hasALEC
backingforamoresweepinggoal:anamendmentthatwouldimposefiscalrestraintson
thefederalgovernment,reduceitsauthorityandlimitthetermsoffederalelected
officials.

Thejuggernautnatureoftheconventionmovementhasalmostovershadowedthe
longstandingdebateaboutitsmotivation:toimbuetheConstitutionwithabindinglimit
onfederalspending.
 Supporterssaythephilosophythatstategovernmentsandordinarypeopleusually
adheretothatitiswronganddestructivetospendbeyondonesincomeshould
applytothefederalgovernmentaswell.Inthatview,the$19.4trillionnationaldebt
threatenstodestroyAmericansfutureprosperity.

Itsimmoralforonegenerationtoborrowandspendbeyonditsmeansandleavethe
billtothenextgeneration,saidScottRogers,thedirectoroftheBalancedBudget
AmendmentTaskForce.

Butopponentssayanamendment,notthedeficit,isthethreat.Agovernmentthat
couldnotrundeficits,theyargue,wouldnotbeabletostimulatetheeconomyduring
recessions,whenjobcreatingspendingismostneeded.Anditwouldnotbeabletoelude
budgetceilingsforbenefitslikeSocialSecurity,orforjobcreatingprojectslikehighways
thatarefinancedwithdebt.

Intruth,theysay,debtisafactoflifeforbothstatesandordinaryhouseholdsin
bondissuesthatfinancerevenuegeneratorslikeconventioncentersandbridges,andfor
ordinarynecessitieslikecars,kitchenremodelingsandhomes.Banningdeficitspending,
theysay,wouldbringtheeconomytoahalt.

Butthebasicargumentforfederalfrugalityhasbroadappeal.Pollsgenerallyindicate
strongsupportforabalancedbudgetamendment,andadvocatespersuaded32state
legislaturestobackanamendmentconventionduringtheReaganadministration.

CongressdefusedthemovementbypassingtheGrammRudmanHollingsBalanced
BudgetandEmergencyDeficitControlActof1985,whichpledgedtoothlessly,itturned
outtoeliminateannualfederaldeficitswithinsixyears.Overthenextthreedecades,
manylegislaturesrescindedtheirconventioncalls.Onlyrecentlyhasthemovementseen
arevival.

Amendmentconventionsarenotexclusivelyaconservativecause.Withliberals
backing,fourstateshavepassedresolutionsadvocatingaconventiontooverturnthe
SupremeCourtsCitizensUnitedrulingoncampaignfinance.

Yetdebateoveranamendmentsmeritshastakenabackseattoamorefundamental
question:whetherdelegatestoaconventioncouldbetrustednottotinkerwithother
partsoftheConstitution.
 Article5placesnolimitsonaconventionspower.Someexpertsnotethatthe
Constitutionitselfarosefromaconventioncalledtoamenditspredecessor,theArticlesof
Confederationandtoreupthedocumentandstartedfromscratch.Thatconvention
evenscrappedtheArticlestermsofratificationunanimousapprovalbythestates
andsubstitutedalowerbarrier,threefourthsofstates.(Someproamendment
conservativesarguethatthedelegatestoPhiladelphiadidnotgorogue,butalways
plannedtorewritetheArticles.)

Sowhatruleswouldanamendmentsconventionfollow?Theanswertoalmostevery
questionyoucouldaskisWedontknow,saidMichaelJ.Klarman,aconstitutionallaw
expertatHarvardwhosebookonthatconvention,TheFramersCoup:TheMakingof
theUnitedStatesConstitution,willbepublishedinOctober.Ithinkaconventioncando
anythingtheywantreestablishslavery,establishanationalchurch.Ijustdontthink
theresanylimit.

MichaelJ.Gerhardt,aUniversityofNorthCarolinalawprofessorandscholarin
residenceattheNationalConstitutionCenterinPhiladelphia,saidArticle5sreticence
gavestatesleewaytoimprovise.

Onceyouhaveaconvention,theninsomerespectsitbecomesafreeforall,he
said.Allbetsareoff.

HistorysuggestsatleastoneFoundingFatherhadsimilarqualms.Duringthe
draftingoftheConstitution,JamesMadisondidnotopposetheArticle5clause,but
worriedthatdifficultiesmightariseastotheform,thequorum.

Advocatesscoffatthehandwringing.Conventionsofstates,theysay,arenothing
new:Aboutthreedozenmetfromthe1700sto1922mostbeforetheConstitutionwas
draftedconsideringeverythingfromtradetoslaverytodivvyinguptheColorado
Riverswater.Mostdidnotincludeeverystate,buteachgenerallyfollowedapreset
agenda.Aconventiontodraftamendments,theysay,wouldbenodifferent.

Theresneverbeenaconventionwherethedelegateswentwild,saidRobNatelson,
aformerUniversityofMontanaconstitutionalscholarwhowroteanamendment
conventionhandbookforALECandisnowafellowattheconservativeIndependence
InstituteinDenver.Theyallnegotiatedadeal,cametoanagreementordidnt,andwent
home,hesaid.
 Thereis,though,onesignaldifference:Noneofthosemeetingsborethe
Constitutionsblessing.One,in1861,didproposeanamendmenttoavertanimpending
civilwar,butitwasanadhocaffair,notanArticle5meeting.

AtleastonecontrarianliberalagreeswithMr.Natelson.LawrenceLessig,the
HarvardLawSchoolprofessorandrecent,ifbrief,Democraticpresidentialcandidate,
saidhedoubtedthatanamendmentsconventionwouldrunamok,rewritingthenations
seminalrules.

Butevenifitdid,hesaid,hewouldnotbeespeciallyconcerned:Afterall,a
conventiononlyproposesamendments.

TheverytermsofArticle5statethatproposalsarentvalidunlesstheyreratifiedby
threefourthsofthestates,hesaid.Theresnocontroversialideaontheleftortheright
thatwonthave13statesagainstit.

AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonAugust23,2016,onpageA1oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:PushtoAlterConstitution,viatheStates.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany