Push for Constitution convention hits halfway to state goal

Nebraska added just days after Wisconsin

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska on Friday became the 17th state to call for a convention of states to consider making changes to the U.S. Constitution, putting supporters halfway to their goal of getting the 34 states needed to trigger a convention.

Nebraska lawmakers gave the measure final approval with a 32-10 vote, just three days after Wisconsin passed a similar proposal.

The 17 states that have passed them so far are generally Republican-led and heavily concentrated in the South. In eight other states, the measure has advanced through at least one legislative chamber. The Convention of States movement has ties to the tea party movement and is endorsed by many prominent conservatives.

Opponents have raised concerns about a runaway convention that could lead to in drastic changes to the nation's founding document and the freedoms it protects.

The measure's sponsor, state Sen. Steve Halloran, said he pushed for it out of concern for the growing national debt under presidents from both parties. He said he has heard strong support from constituents in his central Nebraska district and around the state.

"Functionally, the founding fathers intended for the states to have equal footing with Congress," said Halloran, of Hastings. "To me, that's important. I think it's a state sovereignty issue."

Like the other states' resolutions, Nebraska's call seeks to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the federal government's power and jurisdiction, and impose term limits on Congress. The Nebraska measure passed after supporters agreed to add a 5-year sunset, letting the measure expire in February 2027.

Backers also had to come up with 33 votes to overcome a legislative filibuster from opponents. Because the measure is a resolution and not a bill, it doesn't require approval from Gov. Pete Ricketts, although the Republican governor has voiced support for it in the past.

Some lawmakers argued that the convention would widen the nation's political divisions and could ultimately backfire on Nebraska, leading to changes that hurt the state.

"How will they balance the budget? Will they go after farm programs first?" asked Sen. Steve Lathrop, of Omaha.

Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, said she was concerned that special interest groups would try to influence the process, and argued that lawmakers should focus more on protecting voting rights.

"We have a good democracy if we can keep it, if we can protect it," she said.

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Wisconsin Senate approves calling constitutional convention

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin on Tuesday became the 16th state to call for a convention of the states to consider making a variety of changes to the U.S. Constitution, a move that drew bipartisan opposition in the state Senate but not enough to block its approval.

The resolution had passed 15 states, mostly in the South, before Wisconsin became the first since Mississippi in 2019 to approve it. Congress must receive requests from 34 states to convene a convention of the states.

It allows for the convention to consider three things: imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government; limiting the federal government’s powers and jurisdiction; and imposing term limits for members of Congress and other federal officials.

Opponents argue that calling a constitutional convention could get out of control, leading to far-ranging revisions that could drastically reshape the nation’s founding document.

“We’re setting in motion a process that we cannot control and we do not know the end of,” argued Republican Sen. Roger Roth, of Appleton, the only lawmaker to speak Tuesday. “Using this vehicle to address these issues is setting in motion the possibility to unravel and destroy the Constitution as we know it.”

The full Wisconsin Legislature in 2017 passed a resolution that allowed for calling a convention to consider a balanced budget amendment. The latest proposal passed Tuesday, which the Assembly passed last year, is more expansive.

Because it is a resolution, it needed to only pass the Senate on Tuesday after it previously passed the Assembly to serve as Wisconsin’s application to Congress for a convention of the states.

Congress can also refer amendments to the states by a two-thirds vote of each chamber. Both methods require at least 38 states to ratify an amendment before it can take effect.

The Wisconsin Senate approved it on a 17-15 vote with all Democrats and Republican Sens. Roth, Dan Feyen, Jerry Petrowski and Robert Cowles against.

The Senate also passed another resolution calling for a constitutional convention to keep membership of the U.S. Supreme Court to nine justices. That proposal has not yet been taken up in the Assembly.

The Senate passed it on an 18-14 vote with all Democrats and Roth, Petrowski and Cowles voting no.