Utah


“[T]his Legislature applies to the Congress of the United States to call a constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the federal constitution which would require, 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 that total of all estimated federal revenues from that fiscal year.” – Utah HJR 12 (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.

Utah HJR 12 (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.”

HJR 12 (1979)

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL SESSION OF THE 43RD LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF UTAH, CALLING UPON CONGRESS TO PASS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE, IN THE ABSENCE OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY, THAT THE TOTAL OF ALL FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS BY CONGRESS FOR ANY FISCAL YEAR MAY NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL OF ALL ESTIMATED FEDERAL REVENUES FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR; APPLYING TO CONGRESS TO INITIATE PROCEEDINGS TO THAT END, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CALL A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PROPOSING SUCH AN AMENDMENT,; AND CALLING UPON THE LEGISLATURES OF THE SEVERAL STATES LIKEWISE TO APPLY TO CONGRESS TO TAKE SUCH ACTION.

Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Utah:

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;

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;

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;

WHEREAS, knowledgeable planning, fiscal prudence, and plain good sense require that the budget reflect all federal spending and be in balance;

WHEREAS, numerous states have constitutional requirements that appropriations not exceed anticipated revenues for the forthcoming year;

WHEREAS, believing that fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level, and the inflation which results therefrom, constitutes the greatest threat now facing our nation, this Legislature is of the firm conviction 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 and, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, the Congress shall call a constitutional convention for the sole purpose of proposing amendments, which action this Legislature deems vital.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the 43rd Legislature of the State of Utah, that the Congress of the United States is requested to institute procedures to add a new article to the Constitution of the United States and 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.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, alternatively, this Legislature applies to the Congress of the United States to call a constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the federal constitution which would require, 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 that total of all estimated federal revenues for that fiscal year.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Legislature calls upon the legislatures of each of the several states to request Congress to enact an appropriate amendment to the federal constitution or, in the alternative, to apply to the Congress to call a constitutional convention for the sole purpose of proposing such an amendment to the federal constitution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be forwarded to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States and to all members of the Utah delegation in Congress.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution also be prepared and forwarded to the secretaries of state and to the presiding officers of the legislatures of the several states with the request that they join this State in making application to the Congress of the United States to pass such an amendment or, in the alternative, to call a convention for the sole purpose of proposing such an amendment

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this application for a Convention Call for proposing amendments be limited to the subject matter of this Resolution and that the State of Utah be counted as a part of the necessary two-thirds states for such a call only if the convention is limited to the subject matter of this Resolution.