CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Senate has passed and sent to the House of Delegates a resolution supporting a Convention of States to rein in the federal government. The Senate approved SCR 10 18-14 following a lengthy debate Tuesday.
The resolution supports a national movement to exercise Article V of the U.S. Constitution to call a convention of states to restrict the power and jurisdiction of Washington.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charlie Trump (R-Morgan) said a constitutional convention is a legitimate exercise established by the Founders “as the final recourse when Congress will not act.”
Backers of the Convention of States are specifically concerned about the size of government and the growing debt. However, Senate Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) said such a convention would be risky.
“This method has never been tried and for good reason because we don’t know where it will go because there are no constraints.”
If approved, West Virginia would become the sixth state to support a Convention of States. Article V provides when legislatures of two-thirds of the states approve a convention can be called and amendments to the Constitution proposed. Those proposed amendments would then have to be ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.