S-163                 _______________________________________________

                                           SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 103

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Owen, Conner, Vognild, Newhouse, Stratton, Rasmussen, Metcalf, Bauer, McCaslin, Pullen, McDonald, Sellar, von Reichbauer, Hansen, Lee, Hayner, Benitz, Guess, Deccio, Johnson, Cantu, Bailey, Barr and Craswell

Read first time 1/23/85 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE PRESIDING OFFICERS OF THE HOUSES OF THE LEGISLATURE OF EACH OF THE OTHER STATES IN THE UNION:   We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, With each passing year this Nation becomes more deeply in debt as its expenditures repeatedly exceed available revenues, so that the public debt now exceeds hundreds of billions of dollars; and

          WHEREAS, The annual Federal budget continually demonstrates an unwillingness or inability of the Federal government to curtail spending to conform to available revenues; and

          WHEREAS, Knowledgeable planning, fiscal prudence, and good sense require that the budget reflect all Federal spending and be in balance; and

          WHEREAS, Believing that fiscal irresponsibility at the Federal level threatens our Nation, we firmly believe that constitutional restraint is necessary to bring the fiscal discipline needed to restore financial responsibility; and

          WHEREAS, Under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, amendments to the Federal Constitution may be proposed by the Congress whenever two-thirds of both Houses deem it necessary, or on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states the Congress shall call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing amendments; and

          WHEREAS, We believe such action vital;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Congress of the United States institute procedures to add a new Article to the Constitution of the United States, and that we request the Congress to prepare and submit to the several states an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all Federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year; and further

          THAT, alternatively, this Legislature makes application and requests that the Congress of the United States call a constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Federal Constitution requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all Federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year; and further

          THAT, this application by this Legislature constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have made similar applications pursuant to Article V, but if Congress proposes an amendment to the Constitution identical in subject matter to that contained in this Memorial, then this petition for a constitutional convention shall no longer be of any force or effect; and further

          THAT, this application and request be deemed null and void, rescinded, and of no effect in the event that such convention not be limited to such specific and exclusive purpose; and further

          THAT, this Legislature also proposes that the legislatures of each of the several states comprising the United States apply to the Congress requesting the enactment of an appropriate amendment to the Federal Constitution; or requiring the Congress to call a constitutional convention for proposing such an amendment to the Federal Constitution.

          AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of State to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and to the Secretary of State and presiding officers of the Houses of the Legislature of each of the other States in the Union.