[Stonewall1]

Constitutional Amendment proposal that will go before the next session of the Virginia General Assembly. First step to returning the power to the States.

[devane617]

Sounds very interesting. And, it may have a chance of passing.

[Secret Agent Man]

We already have nullification. We just need to start using what we already have. We can go back to the case law where states did use it and the courts backed it.

[1cewolf]

If we can’t repeal the 17th amendment - and I can’t imagine the political carnage involved with doing so - then this is the next best thing for states’ rights. I like it!

[StormEye]

"In its next session beginning in January, the legislature of Virginia will consider proposing a constitutional "Repeal Amendment." The Repeal Amendment would give two-thirds of the states the power to repeal any federal law or regulation."

I'm for it!

[DuncanWaring]

That was the whole point of having Senators appointed by their respective state legislatures, rather than just being a slightly more exclusive version of the House of Reps.

[yetidog]

On a related matter, I just received this via email, (Have seen it before, maybe on FR):

Governors of 35 states have already filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree with the message please pass it on. An idea whose time has come!

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest was to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform ... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn’t seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law.

I truly don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

A Constitutional Convention - this is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come. And, with the advent of modern communication, the process can be moved along with incredible speed. There is talk out there that the “government” doesn’t care what the people think. That is irrelevant. It is incumbent on the population to address elected officials to the wrongs afflicted against the populace...you and me. Think about this...
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I’m asking each addressee to forward this Email to a minimum of twenty people on their Address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.
Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .”

Keep it going. We need a strong showing!

[taxcontrol]

Repealing the 17th will acheive similar goals.

[fightinJAG]

In the meantime, here's my suggestion for the first law to be passed by the Republican Congress in 2011:

"Congress shall not impose or enforce any individual mandate."

Done. Clean-up on Aisle 4. Yes, Obama may get up from watching ESPN long enough to veto it, but that will just add to his problems.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Let’s do it all in one go:

Repeal 16 & 17.
Redefine interstate commerce, public use, general welfare and all the other corrupted language back to their original meanings.

[Plutarch]

Sounds like a great idea, and makes me wonder if such a measure were discussed before, perhaps by the Anti-Federalists.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

"Any provision of law or regulation of the United States may be repealed by the several states, and such repeal shall be effective when the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states approve resolutions for this purpose that particularly describe the same provision or provisions of law or regulation to be repealed."

Sounds great to me. Would love the opportunity to work on getting on the CA ballot as an initiative.

[Monorprise]

Good idea, although I would lower the threshold to a majority or less, otherwise your talking about a Constitutional convention threshold.

Which is already 2/3rds of the States.

[Mtned]

I like this one also

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.”

[Cacique]

The oligarchy will not allow it. History proves that those in power never give up ppwer willingly.

[supercat]

How about this as a bonus:

1. Because the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, no government action contrary to it is, or ever has been, legitimate. By definition, illegitimate actions are not, and never have been, part of any government agent's legitimate duties. Except as noted in section 2, no statute or law which would grant government agents civil and/or criminal immunity for actions on duty has ever been legitimately applicable to illegitimate actions.
2. The state shall not impose criminal punishments, nor punitive civil judgments, against a person who acts in a fashion which a jury determines he reasonably believed to be legitimate. The jury shall be responsible for determining whether any claimed belief of legitimacy is reasonable. Criminal and civil defendants shall be entitled to present to the jury evidence they believe justifies their beliefs.
3. In some cases, illegitimate actions by government agents may require remedies beyond those prescribed in this Constitution. Any judge or other government agent seeking to impose such remedies must expressly state what previous actions by the government were illegitimate, and why the Constitution would be better served by the proposed remedy than by anything expressly provided for in the Constitution itself.

How do those sound?

[Charlespg]

Yes

But we need congressional term limits as well

[phockthis]

sfl

[Monorprise]

Rout all Federal tax revenue thou State controlled escrow accounts and then the people will be able to uses their more local and independent State governments to help compel compliance with the constitution, from the perspective of the governed rather then the governing.

[hosepipe]

Probably can't repeal BUT they can unFUND IT..
ALSO THEY CAN DeFUND other federal bureaucracies....
They can also UNderfund existing programs.. causing downsizing..

Just the hint they might do this could restart the economy..
Actually doing it will do it..

The left will/would go ballistic.. the debates on underfunding would be precious.. OH! THE THROWING THE DIRT IN THE AIR.. THE TEARING OF CLOTHING would be high drama and entertaining..

[Repeal 16-17]

The federal government has gone so far afield of the Constitution we might need this amendment:

SECTION 1 - Articles I, II, and III of this Constitution are hereby repealed.

SECTION 2 - [Replacement for the federal government]