House Defeats Article V Convention Resolution
Oklahoma House defeats resolution for convention of states
by Rick Green
The state House defeated a resolution Tuesday that would have added Oklahoma to the list of states petitioning Congress for a convention to alter the U.S. Constitution.
Senate Joint Resolution 4, which failed 42-56, was intended to have the state participate in a convention that may propose “amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the term of office for its officials and members of Congress.”
Rep. Gary Banz, R-Midwest City, said the imperative to balance the federal budget outweighs the numerous questions surrounding such a convention, which is permitted under Article 5 of the Constitution.
“This is perhaps one of the most significant votes you will take in the time you are here,” he said. “The opposition to this is focused heavily on the how questions at the expense of why we are using Article V of the Constitution to address one of the biggest problems we face as a nation. When you are knee deep in alligators it’s hard to remember your original purpose was to drain the swamp.”