Seventeen Silences State Sovereignty

Prompted by State Legislators that failed to meet their obligation, it was done in the name of democracy. They had lost sight of the significance associated with their part in the balance of power. Now we witness the raging madness of an oligarchy. Now we see why the balance of power, the separation, and our Republican form of government are so essential, and the times are not unique to Obama's reign.

I'm speaking of the Seventeenth Amendment. The Seventeenth Amendment silenced the voices that defended State Constitutions. The Seventeenth Amendment sliced State Sovereignty right out of the Upper Chamber. Today, the Upper and Lower Chambers are beset by near identical lobbying and campaign forces. Aside from the length of term and civil service tenor, what distinguishes the two chambers? What exists to prevent the two chamber of the U.S. Congress from trampling State Rights or State Constitutions? Who in D.C. is accountable to State Law Makers?

The founders understood something that we have forgotten. The corruption of man has no end. Therefore, we must separate powers to the fullest extent possible. The separation of the Executive from the Judicial from the Legislative is not enough. Can you not see this? The power of the masses has to be separate from the power of the States!! General lobbying influences of special interests, unions, corporation, cities, etc.. have destroyed the system. The voices of State Legislators and the State Constitutions are no longer represented and defended in the Federal City!!

It's time to get loud. It's time to tell Washington that the State Legislators have their voice in the U.S. Senate. The power and accountability of State Representation in the Senate must be returned!! It is time to Repeal 17!!

Texas House members Creighton, Hughes, Berman, Gattis and Guillen have filed HCR-50 declaring the Sovereignty of the State of Texas in light of the Tenth Amendment. Their effort is worthy of your support. Tea Parties are flaring up all across the land. These symbolic acts are also worthy of your support. But what has teeth? What will take a bite out of the corruption in the Federal City? What can really bring change to D.C.? What will restore the balance of power in the land?

Repeal 17!! Repeal 17!!

God Save the U.S.A.

HCR-50 - The Sovereign State of Texas

Below is the text of Texas House Resolution (HCR) 50, filed by Representative Brandon Creighton of Montgomery County, Texas.

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and


WHEREAS, The scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, Today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, Many federal laws are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and

WHEREAS, Section 4, Article IV, of the Constitution says, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government," and the Ninth Amendment states that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people"; and

WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, A number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby claim sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That this serve as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.