SJR 18: Requesting the United States Congress to call a convention of the states to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office of federal government officials; and urging the legislatures of the other 49 states to request the United States Congress to call a convention of the states.
00 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18 01 Requesting the United States Congress to call a convention of the states to propose 02 amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the 03 federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and 04 limit the terms of office of federal government officials; and urging the legislatures of 05 the other 49 states to request the United States Congress to call a convention of the 06 states. 07 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 WHEREAS the founders of the Constitution of the United States empowered state 09 legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal 10 government; and 11 WHEREAS the federal government has created a crushing national debt through 12 improper and imprudent spending; and 13 WHEREAS the federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states 14 through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded; and
01 WHEREAS it is the solemn duty of the states to protect the liberty of the people, 02 particularly for the generations to come, to propose amendments to the Constitution of the 03 United States through a convention of the states under art. V to place clear restraints on these 04 and related abuses of power; 05 BE IT RESOLVED that, under art. V, Constitution of the United States, the Alaska 06 State Legislature respectfully applies to the United States Congress to call a convention of the 07 states for the sole purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States 08 that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the 09 federal government, and limit the terms of office of federal government officials; and be it 10 FURTHER RESOLVED that this application constitutes a continuing application in 11 accordance with art. V, Constitution of the United States, until at least two-thirds of the 12 legislatures of the several states have applied for a similar convention of the states; and be it 13 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the legislatures of 14 the other 49 states to apply to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states. 15 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of 16 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and 17 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of 18 Representatives; the Honorable Patrick J. Leahy, President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate; 19 the Honorable Nancy Erickson, Secretary of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Karen L. Haas, 20 Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 21 Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, 22 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; and the presiding officers of the legislatures 23 of each of the other 49 states.