P&C: S.C. Senate aims to spur Congress to act on immigration
February 19, 2008 by senatormcconnell
As part of a multifaceted approach to illegal immigration, the state Senate on Wednesday issued a call for a national constitutional convention in a strategy aimed at forcing Congress to act.
Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell first introduced the concept in October after Washington negotiators failed to agree on a new immigration policy. The goal is not to see a convention convene, McConnell said. Rather, it’s to pressure Congress.
“Our hope is that this will be a call that will start to gain steam across America and it will put some heat under Congress and they will do what they’ve been sent there to do,” said McConnell, R-Charleston.
What’s next?
Before a constitutional convention could convene:
– The state House would have to approve the resolution.
– The state Legislature would then have to send the petition to the offices of U.S. House Speaker and the U.S. Senate President.
– 33 other states also would have to make the call.
– 38 states would need to agree to approve an amendment.
The resolution will be sent to the House for consideration where it has the support of Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston.
If it passes the South Carolina Legislature, 33 other states would have to sign on and agree to meet only as it pertains to giving states the right to deny benefits to illegal immigrants and have them forced out of the country. The resolution would be repealed if Congress addresses the issue.
“We’ll be the first state in the union, but I suspect we won’t be the last” to call for a convention, McConnell said.
While the resolution received key approval in a voice vote, several Lowcountry legislators noted their support, including Sens. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau; Randy Scott, R-Summerville; and Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek.
Not all the senators agreed. Some said they were worried the resolution would give states free reign to amend the U.S. Constitution in a number of other ways.
“I submit to you that what this does is set us on the path to do something dangerous,” Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said Tuesday in the first of two legislative days the Senate spent primarily debating the resolution.
“I know we want to send Congress a message, but I don’t want to send them a hand grenade,” he said.
McConnell said the founding fathers designed the format for constitutional conventions in “extraordinary times” while putting safeguards in place. Besides, he said, before enough states would sign on for a convention McConnell thinks Congress will act.
“The one thing that will catch their attention is the concern that they will lose their power,” McConnell said. Hutto suggested it would be more effective to find election-time challengers for incumbents in Congress.
Also on Wednesday, the House gave key approval to an immigration reform package. Last week, the Senate sent the House a bill that would require government documents, specifically the state’s driving manual, be printed in English only.
Reach Yvonne Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.
Published by the Post and Courier
by Yvonne Wenger
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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2 Responses to “P&C: S.C. Senate aims to spur Congress to act on immigration”
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A Constitutional convention is way too dangerous. There are people who will seize control, if they can, and do away with the Bill of Rights, especially the second amendment. A convention can not be limited in scope. Everything is fair game. We have other ways to hold the federal government accountable. A Con Con is a Con Job! Don’t do it!
State Senator Glenn McConnell should NOT be using his website to PROMOTE an Article V Constitutional Convention. Such a convention could not be limited to immigration or ANY one issue or amendment. It would be Congress – not state legislatures that would decide how delegates would be chosen. Legal scholars including former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger agree that we should never open up the Pandora’s box of a Con Con. Please vote NO! in Sen. McConnell’s online poll.
As a patriotic American who is dedicated to preserving our Republic and our freedoms as given to us by our Founding Fathers, I am appalled at Senator McConnell’s Concurrent Resolution S856 calling for a national constitutional convention under Article V. Sen. McConnell claims that he doesn’t really want to see such a convention happen, he just wants to “pressure Congress” to act on immigration. The only problem with this is that once 34 states call for a Con Con, Congress is REQUIRED to call one – it would be too late to change our mind and rescind our SC call at that point. And, once convened, the Convention would be like a Fourth Branch of our government – making its own rules and passing whatever changes to the US Constitution that it so desires. You can’t limit a Constitutional Convention to ONE ISSUE or to ONE AMENDMENT and you can’t STOP it once convened. There would be NO TURNING BACK! Why would we call for it ANYWAY if we plan to rescind the call if it comes to pass??? If we tell THAT to Congress, what pressure is there for them to act at all?!?
And here’s the kicker to McConnell’s “pressure” argument… It would be the CONGRESS that would decide how delegates to a Convention would be chosen. They could appoint their own cronies, who would simply rubber stamp what Congress is doing right now that we may not like – on immigration or any other issue. They could even end up with MORE power over the states.
We would also risk a convention takeover by special interest groups such as abortion activists (on both sides), advocates of a ‘Living Constitution’ philosophy who would give additional legislative powers to the Judiciary branch (that’s all we need is MORE activist judges), people like Larry Sabato would try to make fundamental changes to the foundation of our nation… the list goes on of folks who could take advantage of the Pandora’s Box that IS a Constitutional Convention!
There is a wonderful educational documentary available online which outlines these and other dangers of an Article V Constitutional Convention. I have posted this video on my personal website http://my.opera.com/jkhgadfly or http://think.mtv.com/profile/jkhgadfly and I hope all House members will take the time to view it TODAY. We can’t let this Con Con call get any farther! Please STOP S856 IMMEDIATELY and SAVE OUR US CONSTITUTION !!!
Thank you.
Janice Harper