TX Gov. Abbott Releases Texas Plan, Endorses Article V Convention Of States

Speaking at a public policy meeting in Austin, Texas Friday Gov. Greg Abbott released his “Texas Plan” a 100 page package of 9 potential amendments to the Constitution that would restore liberty and revive the system of checks and balances in our federal government.

Abbott’s plan echo’s that of nationally syndicated talk show host and author of the best selling The Liberty Amendments in that they call on the state legislatures to use Article V of the constitution to call for a convention of states to debate and propose amendments for possible ratification by three-fourths of the states.  In order for an Article V convention to be called two-thirds of the state legislatures need to submit applications calling for one.

Abbott is the second major political figure in recent weeks to embrace the use of Article V to advance such things as congressional and judicial term limits, a balanced budget amendment, and other measures that would restore the powers of the states and to curtail the power of the federal government.  Prior to Abbott Florida Senator and GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio also endorsed the notion of an Article V convention.  Fellow GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has long been a fan of the Article V convention process.

To counter the phony claims that such a convention could “run away” Gov. Abbott explicitly calls for the agenda for any convention to be set in advance and that the convention itself should not discuss anything that isn’t permitted by the state legislatures.  Should any such proposal make it to the convention under Abbott’s plan the whole Texas delegation and participation in the convention would be terminated.

Breitbart Texas has more:

Abbott said “Our government was founded on the rule of law rather the caprice of man. That rule of law flows from our Constitution. That Constitutional foundations is now so often ignored that the Founders would hardly recognize it. Until we fix that foundation by restoring the rule of law all the repairs we seek through the policies you propose will never lead to lasting solutions.”

Abbott noted the acts of this week “show cracks in our Constitutional foundation.” He cited President Obama’s action threatening Second Amendment rights even though the Bill of Rights and the Constitution was designed to protect Americans from invasions of their liberties.

“The problem is these departures from the Constitution are not the aberration, they are now the norm,” the governor charged. He said the President has repeatedly exceeded his executive powers to impose far-reaching and heavy-handed regulations on everything from climate change to healthcare reform and immigration.

The governor also reprimanded the U.S. Congress, adding, “Congress is no better. They used to consider whether a proposed law could be squared with Congress’ Constitutionally enumerated powers.” He said, “Today’s approach is captured by the former Speaker of House. When asked to identify the Constitutional authority for Obamacare she angrily replied: ‘Are you serious?’”

Not to leave the nation’s highest court unrebuked, Abbott said the U.S. Supreme Court is a co-conspirator in abandoning the Constitution. He said, “Instead of applying laws as written, it embarrassingly strains to rewrite laws like Obamacare.” He accused the Supreme Court of frequently departing from the Constitution and amending it by adding words and concepts that are not found in the Constitution.

These increasingly frequent departures from the Constitution are destroying the Rule of Law upon which this country is founded, Abbott said. “We are succumbing the caprice of man that our Founders fought to escape.”

He said the only cure for these overreaches by the federal government and its judiciary is that the states must lead the way. Abbott said these problems will not be cured by Washington, D.C.

To date the state legislatures in Florida, Georgia, Alaska, and Alabama have signed on to an Article V convention like that envisioned by Gov. Abbott and Mark Levin.

H/T to The Right Scoop for video of Gov. Abbott’s full remarks announcing the Texas Plan

Here are Gov. Abbott’s 9 proposed amendments H/T Twitchy:

I really like #6 requiring a 7 vote super majority on the Supreme Court to strike down any law enacted by the states or Congress.

The rest appear to be shorter or condensed versions of what was called for in Mark Levin’s Liberty Amendments

The post TX Gov. Abbott Releases Texas Plan, Endorses Article V Convention Of States appeared first on RedState.