Geez — for the umpteenth time: only people have rights; State Governments have powers not specfically reserved to the Federal Government AND those powers are derived from the consent of the governed.
States have whatever powers we the people of our States decide to give them in the State Constitution. Just the same as in regard to the Federal constitution with the exception that the Federal union is that of 50 States not 300+ million people.
The 17th ammedment upset the balance of power designed to help keep the Federal Government in it’s Constiutional box by making Federal Senators direct Representative of the population(like the house) rather than repesnatives of the State power interest.
Why is that important? Its quite simple, for any system of checks and balances to work both sides have to have a constant interest in preserving its own terf against the intrusion of the other. The U.S. Senate was quite explicitly desigend to help the States do that whereas the presdinecy, house, and federal judiciary formed a “counter balance”.
At least that is how some of the federalist framers claimed it would work. In reality, as one might expect the senates long 6 year term left its members somewhat more comfortable in office. while the powers of the senate amounted to little more than a occupationally effective Veto.
Washington Still grew usurping more and more powers & money from the people and their state
But still as we have witnessed after 1913 the system as designed was 100 times more effective at slowing the progress of the Federal encroachment that having no distinct senate at all.
So by all means I insist upon repealing and/or abolishing the 17th amendment.