00                 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14(STA)                                                               
01 Making application to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states to                                  
02 propose a countermand amendment to the Constitution of the United States as provided                                    
03 under art. V, Constitution of the United States; and urging the legislatures of the other                               
04 49 states to make the same application.                                                                                 
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS the state's sovereignty has been infringed upon by the federal                                        
07 government, including by the federal government's recent denial of and refusal to work with                             
08 state officials on the construction of a lifesaving road from King Cove to Cold Bay; and                                
09       WHEREAS the state's right and duty to provide for the utilization, development, and                             
10 conservation of natural resources for the maximum benefit of the people has been continually                            
11 infringed on by various federal agencies; and                                                                           
12       WHEREAS the United States Congress has, at times, exceeded its delegated powers,                                
13 the President of the United States has, at times, exceeded the constitutional authority of the                          
14 office of the President of the United States, and the federal courts have, at times, exceeded                           
15 their authority by issuing decisions on public policy matters reserved to the states in violation                       
01 of the principles of federalism and separation of powers, all of which have adversely affected                          
02 the state and its people; and                                                                                           
03       WHEREAS, under the authority of art. V, Constitution of the United States, the                                  
04 several states should apply to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states to                         
05 amend the United States Constitution and adopt a countermand amendment to authorize the                                 
06 states, upon a vote of three-fifths of the state legislatures, to nullify and repeal a federal                          
07 statute, executive order, judicial decision, regulatory decision by a federal government                                
08 agency, or government mandate imposed on the states by law that adversely affects the                                   
09 interests of the states, in order to properly exercise the states' constitutional authority to check                    
10 federal power, preserve state sovereignty, and protect the rights of the states and the people;                         
11 and                                                                                                                     
12       WHEREAS the states have the authority to define and limit the agenda of a                                       
13 convention to a single-issue "countermand amendment convention" called for by the states as                             
14 provided under art. V, Constitution of the United States; and                                                           
15       WHEREAS the delegates sent by the states to a countermand amendment convention                                  
16 shall have the limited authority to deliberate on and decide whether the countermand                                    
17 amendment, as preapproved by state legislatures, should be sent back to the state legislatures                          
18 for ratification;                                                                                                       
19       BE IT RESOLVED that, under art. V, Constitution of the United States, the Alaska                                
20 State Legislature directs the United States Congress to call a single-issue convention of the                           
21 states, called a "countermand amendment convention," for the sole purpose of deciding                                   
22 whether the proposed countermand amendment should be sent back to the state legislatures                                
23 for ratification; and be it                                                                                             
24       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature directs the United States                                    
25 Congress to convene the countermand amendment convention within 60 days after the date it                               
26 receives the 34th call for that convention from state legislatures; and be it                                           
27       FURTHER RESOLVED that this application constitutes a continuing application in                                  
28 accordance with art. V, Constitution of the United States, until at least two-thirds of the                             
29 legislatures of the several states have applied for a similar convention of the states; and be it                       
30       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the legislatures of                                    
31 the other 49 states to apply to the United States Congress to call a single-issue countermand                           
01 convention of the states under art. V, Constitution of the United States.                                               
02       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of                             
03 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and                          
04 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of                                  
05 Representatives; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the                                 
06 Honorable Nancy Erickson, Secretary of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Karen L. Haas, Clerk                              
07 of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan                                
08 Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the                               
09 Alaska delegation in Congress; and the presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the                            
10 other 49 states.