Louisiana
“[T]his body respectfully petitions the Congress of the United States to call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States to require a balanced federal budget and to make certain exceptions with respect thereto.” – Louisiana SCR 4 (1979)
Representative Application
For each of the 40 States, one representative application has been highlighted. An explanation is provided as to why this application should be aggregated toward the total calling for a convention for proposing amendments. Additional applications from the State, if any, are also included.
Louisiana SCR 4 (1979) is among the eight States articulate the problem of fiscal responsibility with a phrase nearly identical to “require a balanced federal budget and to make certain exceptions with respect thereto.” There are some slight variations among this language, most notably North Carolina which replaces “and to make certain exceptions with respect thereto” with “in the absence of a national emergency.”
SCR 4 (1979)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To memorialize and apply to the Congress of the United States to take appropriate action, either acting by consent of two-thirds of both Houses or, upon the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, to call a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to the federal constitution to require, with certain exceptions, that the federal budget be balanced.
WHEREAS, with each passing year this Nation becomes more deeply in debt as its expenditures grossly and 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 both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government to curtail spending to conform to available revenues; and
WHEREAS, unified budgets do not reflect actual spending because of the exclusion of special outlays which are not included in the budget nor subject to the legal public debt limit; and
WHEREAS, knowledgeable planning, fiscal prudence, and plain good sense F require that the budget reflect all federal spending and be in balance; and
WHEREAS, believing that fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level, with the inflation which results from this policy, is the greatest threat which faces our Nation. The Louisiana Legislature firmly believes 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 which shall be valid to all intents and purposes when ratified by three-fourths of the several states.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Legislature of the state of Louisiana, the House of Representatives thereof concurring, that the Congress of the United States institute procedures to propose and submit to the several states an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the federal budget be balanced in the absence of a national emergency.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, alternatively, this body respectfully petitions the Congress of the United States to call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States to require a balanced federal budget and to make certain exceptions with respect thereto.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this application by the Louisiana Legislature constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until at least two-third 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 Resolution, then this petition for a constitutional convention shall no longer be of any force or effect.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, 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.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Louisiana 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.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a duly attested copy of this Resolution be immediately transmitted to the president of the United States, to the
secretary of the United States Senate, to the clerk of the United States House of Representatives, to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress, and to the presiding officer of each house of each state Legislature in the United States.
Michael H. O’Keefe
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
E.L. Henry
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
* Not signed by the Governor.[1]