Convention of States Amendments

Liberty
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Convention of States Amendments that should be passed:

(In no particular order)

Impose Congressional term limits.

Flat tax of no more than 10% with the provision it can NEVER be raised beyond that…but can be lowered.

Require a balanced budget and limit federal spending and taxation

Repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, returning the election of Senators to state legislatures

Impose term limits for Supreme CourtJustices and restrict judicial review

Subject federal departments and bureaucratic regulations to periodic reauthorization and review

Create a more specific definition of the Commerce Clause

Limit eminent domain powers

Create a process where two-thirds of the states can nullify federal laws

Require photo ID to vote and limit early voting

Define a deadline to file taxes (one day before the next federal election)

Make Election Day a National Holiday.

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Nearly all cribbed from The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin.

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Plus audit all politicians and their family members and BAN insider trading. Our politicians live like kings while we suffer. Isn’t that why we left King George?

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I get your point on several of your suggestions, but i don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to vote for your senators. Can someone please explain the logic of this to me?

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Congressional Term Limits: If this is done, the limits for the House and Senate should NOT be coupled. This would allow for “forced challenges” against incumbent Senators by term-limited Representatives, and for a “fresh clock” if the latter is victorious.

Flat tax: I agree in principle, but am not sure as to the 10% cap.

Balanced Budget: I agree.

Repeal of 17th: I disagree, as I believe that the “problem” here is being caused by factors other than the Amendment itself. Those factors should be addressed instead.

Supreme Court term limits: I disagree, as this one of the things the Uniparty wants us to do so they can be rid of good justices. I would instead fix the number of seats at 9 to prevent court packing.

Redefine Commerce Clause and Limit Eminent Domain: I do not have a strong opinion, and would need to see the specifics of what is being proposed.

Federal Nullification by 2/3 of States: I agree in principle, as this would put a much needed check on Congress. I believe it would be particularly effective in blocking wasteful spending and on hidden measures that harm the people (e.g., the Vehicle Kill Switch Mandate hidden in the 2021 Infrastructure Bill). I would specifically invest this power in the State Legislatures as a plenary power (i.e., the Governor cannot veto that State Legislature’s “vote” for a nullification). Both chambers would have to agree in order to cast that State Legislature’s “vote” (except, of course, Nebraska unless and until it switches from its unicameral system to the bicameral system used by the other 49 states and at the Federal level itself).

Photo ID and Early Voting: I agree, and would ban early voting except for active duty military and long haul truckers.

Change the Tax Deadline: I disagree, as I do not see a need for this one.

Election Day Holiday: I would instead ban employers from retaliating against an employee for any voting-related absence similar to how they cannot retaliate over jury duty. The voter could thus not be punished for any polling place related issue (except for either having to use leave time or not getting paid), but would still be responsible for reporting to work after finishing voting (provided it is during their normal hours).

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Sure.
Congress is elected by the people. It’s the Peoples’ House.
The Senate is supposed to represent the interests of their state, not be the House part 2.
It’s the nod to States Rights in the Constitution recognizing the the States created the Federal Government not the other way around.
The Senate is supposed to be the cooler heads prevailing.

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Not to mention that most Senators prior to the 17th Amendment were lucky to serve 10 years, as the political winds changed in their home state, the State Legislatures would replace a Senator with someone aligned closer to their agenda - so in a way it was a form of term limits as well.

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I am on the fence with the idea of term limits for Supreme Court Justices. In a way an 18 year term, would have every Presidential Term replacing 2 justices, thus one President could never have more than 4 appointments to the bench.

The other option is a mandatory retirement age (not only for justices but for Congress as well), where when you reach a certain age you no longer can serve. This would hopefully reduce the turmoil when a sitting justice dies (and nullifies their vote on all outstanding cases).

But absolutely, the Supreme Court should be fixed at 9 justices, getting rid of this “court packing” threat once and for all.

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Thanks 1776!

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Agree on lifetime supreme court & fixing @ 9. Packing is a terrible threat to democracy & would become tit for tat for both parties.

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Based on your comment, I think you might appreciate my proposal if you don’t mind taking a look:

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So long as we’re discussing it, here’s my 2 cents for what a Convention should prioritize:

  1. The federal government may not raise any direct tax on any citizen of any US state

    • No sales taxes
    • No property taxes
    • No income taxes
    • No behavioral taxes
    • Yes to Import /Export tariffs
    • Yes to charging fees in voluntary exchange for services
    • Yes to taxing the state government’s budgets

  2. All representatives to the US federal government from a state (the US House of Representatives and the US Senate) will be employees of their sending state and subject to the state’s rules of employment.

    • State legislature will define salaries and pay federal representatives (and staff as needed)
    • State legislature will define investment/insider trading rules
    • State legislature will define non-compete/post employment rules

  3. The federal government may not spend money in excess of the money it brings in and must pay all interest on it’s debts +1% of any outstanding debts each year. This rule may only be broken with the consent of a super-majority of state governors or a simple majority of state legislatures. If either of these two bodies declare a national emergency they may approve the federal government taking on specific new debts.

These three things would reverse the monetary power-dynamics between the states and federal government, provide accountability for legislatures and their staff, and make the federal government accountable for spending. The only other thing I think needs desperately to be solved is unaccountable intelligence agencies. Those are a little harder to solve. Maybe if you let state legislatures set up regulatory boards which after getting clearance would review all intelligence operations that take place within the state’s boarders and initiate prosecution if laws are broken. I haven’t worked that one out as cleanly though.

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And as long as you list the taxes that should be abolished, the very tax on “Life” itself should be forever abolished in America , under the God-given Constitutional protections of LIFE and Liberty, and the Pursuits thereof…

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You might find this Proposal interesting.
If you agree please vote for and share.
Merry Christmas to Fred Walker

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I agree with this plan with one addition: We should ban any and all computer voting machines entirely and go back to paper ballots. Every since we introduced these machines, we’ve had nothing but chaotic elections. Every state got their votes counted on election night when i was a girl (the '70’s). Computers are supposed to make things easier yet, machine voting saw the 2024 election still counting votes until earlier this week (12.19.24). That’s ridiculous and must end. France and many other countries use paper ballots. America should lead the way, not trail the pack.

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This post is one example of something that I think should be addressed in our government at large and that is having multiple different issues all under a single vote. If I were to like something that you said in this post and I wanted to vote affirmative in its favor, I am thereby forced to support all of the Amendments that you have proposed which I do not think is conducive to the type of modularity that we are hoping for from this platform

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I can’t speak for everyone but as for my Proposed Amendment I would ask that you consider it on its own merits. If you have suggestions please feel free to make suggest. You can vote for Proposals separately. I think the attempt to “group” or " merge" Proposals is not to Force a Vote for all. It is my understanding that merging is to help in listening Proposals by topics. Hopefully to make following and contributions easier. It may also help by listing Proposals that would encompass other line item Proposals under one Proposal that may include the line items desired effect. I hope you have a Blessed Day and continue to support Our efforts, Fred Walker

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The Author’s of the Constitution intended the US. House of Representatives to “represent” the People. The US. Senate was to represent the State. They looked at States as we do Nations or Countries. They were to be sovereign independent governing bodies. This would allow the best State ideas and policies to out perform those States that under performed or were less acceptable to the People. This would encourage States Government to perform or loose their Citizens to other more successfully operated States. The reasons behind allowing Citizens free and unobstructed movement between States. Amendment 17 destroyed these possibilities and controls. Have a Blessed Day, Fred Walker

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Put a stop to Congress getting retirement of their full salary for the rest of their life. Also have them enjoy the same insurance as we get to enjoy. Let them reform the way we get insurance.

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So are you listing each one of these as there own, are you saying we should still have a tax, the 17th amendment, why do you feel it should be repeal, it allows each state to have two representing them in the Senate, you also say to give states a little more power to nullify federal laws, I don’t think that would be a good idea, that could create a division between state, some what like we have now, I feel that taxes should end, the government taxes more and more all the time, everything is taxed, we get taxed on taxes. If the taxes stay, then it should be if your income is taxed, that the only tax we pay, is they want to put tax other thing, pay does not get taxed, then not tax above 10% total of the tax, if they want to say, tax property, food, etc, it can not total more then 10% of the totals of each, totaled together, does that make sense.