03/20/2024 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

        HJR 13-CALL FED. CONSTITUTIONAL CONV:TERM LIMITS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:38:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  JOINT  RESOLUTION NO.  13,  Requesting  the United  States                                                               
Congress  to  call a  convention  of  the  states to  propose  an                                                               
amendment  to the  Constitution of  the  United States  to set  a                                                               
limit on the  number of terms that  a person may be  elected as a                                                               
member of  the United  States House of  Representatives and  as a                                                               
member of the  United States Senate; and  urging the legislatures                                                               
of the other  49 states to request the United  States Congress to                                                               
call  a convention  of the  states.   [Before  the committee  was                                                               
CSHJR 13(STA).]                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE opened public testimony on HJR 13.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:39:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUSAN ALLMEROTH,  representing self,  testified in  opposition to                                                               
HJR  13.   She opined  that there  is no  room for  an Article  5                                                               
convention,  and nothing  that would  limit the  convention to  a                                                               
single   subject.     She  expressed   concern  that   holding  a                                                               
constitutional  convention  could  result  in  the  amendment  of                                                               
citizens' most  cherished rights.   In short, she opined  that an                                                               
Article 5 convention  would be a disaster and could  lead to long                                                               
and costly battles, uncertainty  about the function of democracy,                                                               
and economic instability.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:40:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JUDI  CALER, representing  self, testified  in opposition  to HJR
.     She  recounted  historical  examples   of  constitutional                                                               
amendments.  She said she saw  no evidence in history that filing                                                               
applications  for conventions  has  anything to  do with  getting                                                               
congress to  propose amendments.   She  viewed the  argument that                                                               
congress  would  never  hold a  constitutional  convention  as  a                                                               
clever   way  of   allowing  states   to  trigger   an  unlimited                                                               
convention.   She urged  the committee not  to play  chicken with                                                               
congress.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE closed public testimony on HJR 13.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:43:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AZABEL  ORDAZ,  Staff,  Representative Tom  McKay,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative McKay,  prime sponsor,                                                               
stated  that  CSHJR 13(STA)  would  set  federal term  limits  on                                                               
members  of congress  under Article  5,  which would  call for  a                                                               
convention  of the  states.    She reported  that  84 percent  of                                                               
Alaskans  are in  favor of  congressional term  limits and  hoped                                                               
                          th                                                                                                    
that Alaska would be the 7 state to join the call.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:44:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR  JEPSEN, Staff,  Representative  Tom  McKay, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative McKay,  prime sponsor,                                                               
noted that  Representative McKay was  not present because  he was                                                               
chairing House Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:44:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ALLARD  stated  that  the  committee  received  a                                                               
flurry  of emails  in regard  to  the resolution's  impact.   She                                                               
asked Mr. Jepsen to provide further context.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEPSEN stated that the point  of CSHJR 13(STA) is not to hold                                                               
a constitutional convention.   He said Article 5  was included in                                                               
the U.S. Constitution "to force  congress to do things they won't                                                               
do  with  the  ...  possibility  of  having  this  constitutional                                                               
convention for amendments."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:45:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY  sought to  confirm  that  it would  not  be                                                               
possible  to  call  an  Article 5  convention  about  one  single                                                               
subject.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ORDAZ   explained  that  Article  5   would  allow  proposed                                                               
amendments to  the constitution.   She further noted  that states                                                               
would be able  to choose their delegates with  oversight from the                                                               
state legislature and superior court.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked how Alaska would choose its delegates.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. ORDAZ said it would be up to the legislature to decide.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked whether  the [delegate selection] would                                                               
require a bill.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEPSEN indicated  that much of the process is  gray area that                                                               
would need to be figured out  down the road if the high threshold                                                               
of 34 states was reached.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY sought to confirm  that goal of CSHJR 13(STA)                                                               
would  be   to  pressure   congress  to  act,   not  to   hold  a                                                               
constitutional convention.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. JEPSEN answered, "That is correct."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:46:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SUMNER  asked  how  many  states  had  passed  [a                                                               
similar resolution] to date.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ORDAZ answered six states.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:47:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ALLARD  moved  to  report CSHJR  13(STA)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSHJR  13(STA)  was                                                               
reported from the House Judiciary Standing Committee.