Nevada
“That this legislature requests the Congress of the United States to call a convention limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which would provide that, in the absence of a national emergency, the total of all federal appropriations for any fiscal year must not exceed the total of the estimated federal revenue for that year.” – Nevada SJR 8 (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.
Nevada SJR 8 (1979) is among the seventeen States that articulate the problem of fiscal responsibility with a phrase nearly identical to “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.” There are some slight variations, the biggest being Wyoming referring to “receipts” rather than “revenue.”
SJR 8 (1979)
FILE NUMBER 39
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION–Requesting the Congress of the United States to call a convention limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which would require a balanced budget in the absence of a national emergency.
WHEREAS, Proper economic planning, fiscal prudence and common sense require that the federal budget include all federal spending and be in balance; and
WHEREAS, The annual federal budgets continually reflect the unwillingness or inability of the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government to balance the budget; and
WHEREAS, The national debt now amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars and is increasing enormously each year as federal expenditures exceed federal revenues; and
WHEREAS, The inflation and other results of the fiscal irresponsibility of the Federal Government demonstrate the need for a constitutional restraint upon excessive spending; and
WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States provides that on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states, Congress shall call a convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada, jointly,That this legislature requests the Congress of the United States to call a convention limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which would provide that, in the absence of a national emergency, the total of all federal appropriations for any fiscal year must not exceed the total of the estimated federal revenue for that year; and be if further
Resolved,That this legislature conditions this request upon the Congress of the United States’ establishing appropriate restrictions limiting the subject matter of a convention called pursuant to this resolution to the subject matter of this resolution, and if the Congress fails to establish such restrictions, this resolution has no effect and must be con9ldered at nullity; and be it further
Resolved,That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the legislative counsel to the Vice President of the United States as President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, to each member of the Nevada congressional delegation and to the presiding officer of each house of the legislatures of the several states; and be it further
Resolved,That this resolution shall become effective upon passage and approval.
[January 18th, 1980]