[Publius]

As Congressman Billybob explained it to me, the Convention is the agent of the states, and the states define the purview of the Convention by the language of their petitions to Congress requesting that Congress call that Convention. According to the Principle of Agency, an agent cannot go outside the purview of his agency agreement, so any attempt to turn the Convention onto subjects outside its purview, as defined by the states, would be out of order and forbidden.

At present 32 states have petitions in Congress asking for a Convention to address a balanced budget amendment. Should 2 more states send petitions to Congress for a Convention to address a balanced budget amendment, Congress would be required to set a time and place for a Convention to address a balanced budget amendment only. Phyllis Schlafly, Bob Unruh, and other writers who have been trying to whip up hysteria about a possible Runaway Convention have not studied the issue.

If you want a Convention open to address all possible subjects, you need to get 34 states to petition for one. (There are 2 petitions for a General Convention that have been out there since the 1790's, but their "freshness" is subject to debate in Congress and the courts.)

[Bigun]

Should I remind you of what happened when the states called a convention for the express purpose of amending the Articles of Confederation?