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The VUU / UUJAZ Arizona Legislative Alert – Week 45 Action What’s “Article V” ???

All opinions are those of the author, Anne L. Schneider, PhD

September 13, 2017 To start a subscription to this newsletter or to be removed from it, send e-mail to legislativeadvocacy@vuu.org

SAVE THE CONSTITUION! Time for some EDUCATION about this issue.

Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides an alternative way to amend

the constitution of the United States. There is a wide-spread, national

movement from tea party conservatives and others who want to “reign in” the power

of the federal government, especially through a constitutional requirement for a

balanced budget, but other provisions as well. Including, as examples, election of U.S.

Senators by State Legislators, debt ceilings for the federal government that have to be

approved by the state legislatures, redefinition of the welfare and commerce clauses,

changes in the federal lands and national parks provisions, term limits for Congress

and Supreme Court, placing an upper limit on federal taxation, and others.

Fortunately for those who oppose this (which is almost all economists, most liberals,

many moderates, almost all constitutional scholars, and some conservatives), the

supporters of an Article V convention are in disagreement among themselves about

how to get this done.

THIS WEEK, a group of Arizona Legislators are the hosts for a strategy / planning

meeting being attended by 19 or so states to reach agreement on the details of how they

would go about getting 34 states to petition Congress to call a “convention of the states”

for the purpose of proposing a specific constitutional amendment. The difficulty is that

these petitions from the states have to use EXACTLY the same language. Even though

27 have petitioned Congress for some type of balanced budget or otherwise restrictive

constitutional amendment, they have not all used exactly the same wording.

So, the meeting this week here in Phoenix is intended to reach agreement on exactly

what the proposed amendment should say. Then, in the 2018 legislative sessions, all

states will be urged to pass legislation petitioning congress to call a “convention of the

states.”

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The opposition is not just against the idea of a balanced budget

requirement for the feds (which most economists believe would send the world

economy into a depression from which it might never recover), but the likelihood of

a Runaway Convention. This is not just a scare tactic, but the fact is

the U.S. Constitution, Article V, does not provide for any control over such a

“convention of the states” once it is convened. The states that came together in the

1700s to “amend the articles of confederation” had strict instructions on what to do.

Yet, once convened, they locked the door, threw the “articles of confederation” under

the bus and wrote an entirely new constitution. If a “convention of the states” is

convened, most constitutional scholars contend that the courts could not reign it in,

neither could Congress, and even if states attempted to recall their delegates, their

would be no legal obligation for the delegates to be recalled.

Useful opposition requires knowledge! Time now to get acquainted with the facts

and details. The meeting proponents are holding this week is NOT a “convention of

the states” even though they are calling themselves that, but a strategy meeting.

There’s a paper on Article V conventions at http://www.vuu.org/legislative-advocacy

and lots of information on the web.

https://www.facebook.com/savetheconstitutionrally/

Missed the Opportunity to Fuss about DJT’s DACA decision? It’s not too

late. Here are the U.S. Representatives. WhoIsMyRepresentative.com.

Scroll down to get contact info for Senators.

Use “Resistbot.io” or call. Tell them to provide a path to citizenship for the

“Dreamers.” (See last week’s AZLA for more info at www.vuu.org/legislative-

advocacy_

1 O'Halleran, Tom

D 126 Conner House Office Building 202-225-3361

2 McSally, Martha

R 510 Conner House Office Building 202-225-2542

3 Grijalva, Raul

D 1511 Longsworth House Office Building 202-225-2435

4 Gosar, Paul A.

R 2057 Rayburn House Office Building 202-225-2315

5 Biggs, Andy

R 1626 Longsworth House Office Building 202-225-2635

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6 Schweikert, David

R 2059 Rayburn House Office Building 202-225-2190

7 Gallego, Ruben

D 1218 Longsworth House Office Building 202-225-4065

8 Franks, Trent

R 2435 Rayburn House Office Building 202-225-4576

9 Sinema, Kyrsten

D 1725 Longsworth House Office Building 202-225-9888

Mark Your Calendar

Sun, Sep 24, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM. UUJAZ is sponsoring its second webinar

on “justice strength training.” To register and for more information, go to

the UUJAZ web site: http://www.uujaz.org

Oct. 14. UUJAZ Issue and Action Day. Surprise UU Church. All Day! Your favorite

issues!

Oct. 22. El Paso, Texas. Rev. William Barber will bring The Poor People’s Campaign

to El Paso for a day of training. Some UUs from Arizona plan to attend. Contact

legislativealert@vuu.org if you are interested!

Oct. 29. “Difficult Conversations.” Join others at VUU, noon to 2, for another

workshop on holding “difficult conversations” about race, religion, politics, with

those whose opinions are different than yours. Open to the public, 6400 W. Del Rio,

Chandler, AZ.

Saturday, Nov. 4. The second “We The People Summit,” downtown Phoenix, all day.

Great workshops and gathering of progressive groups throughout Arizona. At the

Renaissance Hotel. Register at http://www.wethepeoplesummit.com . More than 30

classes including “dark money,” DACA, Healthcare, Police Brutality, Voter’s rights,

Women’s reproductive rights, being an ally… and more.

Resistbot.io - What’s that? Put that in your browser and you

should get a screen that will help you send letters, fax, phone, e-mail the U. S. Senate

and/or your U.S. Representative or even the Governor or maybe a cabinet officer.

Several times I have sent a fax very quickly to all three of my congress people). This is a

free service, reportedly developed by volunteers. It will ask for your zip code or

address, and then you can send a fax, letter, make a phone call, send an e-mail to Sen.

Flake and McCain and the House member as well.

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After you have sent several, it will ask you which of the various people you want it sent

to. At first, it just sends to all three. You get more services after you’ve used it awhile!

OR, just text “resist” to 50409.

Find contact information… U.S. Representatives: WhoIsMyRepresentative.com

Know your State Legislators! 1. Do you know your legislative district? If not, find out! Click here and put in

your address. http://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/ write it down!

2. Do you know your legislators? Two Representatives and one Senator. These

will be the same people as last year. If you don’t know, find out here:

http://www.azleg.gov/ Click on “senate” to get your senator. Click on

“house” to get your two representatives. Write down their office phone

numbers and emails (put in your phone)!

Here’s contact information for Arizona U.S. Senators Sen. John McCain

• Washington D.C. Sen. John McCain - 202 224 2235 218 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington D.C. 20510 e-mail: https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

• Arizona Offices (602) 952-2410 2201 East Camelback Road Suite 115 Phoenix, AZ 85016. Tucson 407 West Congress Street Suite 103 Tucson, AZ 85701 Main: (520) 670-6334

• Sen. Jeff Flake • Washington D.C. Sen. Jeff Flake - 202 224 4521. 413 Russell Senate Office Building Washington

DC 20510 e-mail: https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff • Arizona Office - Senator Flake - Phoenix AZ Office: (602)-840-1891

2200 East Camelback Road Suite 120 Phoenix, AZ 85016. Tucson Office 6840 North Oracle

Road Suite 150 Tucson, AZ 85704 P: 520-575-8633

Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation –

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Senior Minister, Rev. Dr. Andy Burnette; Music Minister, Rev. Kellie Walker; Director of Life-Span

Religious Education, Marci Beaudoin. Administrator, Sue Ringler. Located: 6400 W. Del Rio Drive,

Chandler, AZ 480 899 4249 www.vuu.org For previous copies of the Arizona Legislative Alert, and for

all weeks (so far) of the 50 Week Action Plan go to https://www.vuu.org/legislative-advocacy. VUU

holds services each Sunday at 10:30. You are welcome here.

Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network -- Executive Director Rev.

Lisa McDaniel-Hutchings; Justice Coordinator, Alison Wood Policy Coord inator, Anne L. Schneider.

Board Members, UUJAZ: Sharon Travis, Liz Swan (Chair),Rev. Matthew Crary, Bobbi Bollinger.

www.uujaz.org.