Article V balanced budget resolution working way through Legislature
By M.D. Kittle / March 6, 2017 / Wisconsin Watchdog
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin could become the 30th state to pass a resolution calling for a constitutional convention, on path to a federal balanced budget amendment.
![](https://files.constantcontact.com/8638d51c001/3f7d4da3-4f2a-4967-98a5-ca6a38c1be74.jpg?a=1127374949872) CALLING ALL STATES: State Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, says his bill calling for Wisconsin to join a convention of states to discuss a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution is moving forward.
Last week, state Sen. Chris Kapenga circulated for co-sponsorship a resolution requesting Congress call a convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.
Kapenga's bill calls for Wisconsin's involvement in a states convention to discuss an amendment requiring the federal government, like 49 of the states including Wisconsin, to operate under a balanced budget.
"We're excited about it. We've got a good list of cosponsors, so it looks pretty good for this resolution to go through," the Delafield Republican told Wisconsin Watchdog last week in an interview on the Vicki McKenna Show, on NewsTalk 1130 in Milwaukee.
Kapenga also is introducing a Delegate Act and a Rules Resolution. The Delegate Act places certain restrictions on Wisconsin's Delegates at the convention, while the Rules Resolution asserts that the Wisconsin Legislature prefers to convene a convention for proposing amendment language under a predesignated draft set of rules, according to a statement issued last week.
Wyoming late last month became the 29th state to pass an Article V resolution on a balanced budget amendment, according to the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force. The number, however, includes Texas, which approved the measure decades ago, according to The Associated Press.
The Texas Senate last month approved a call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to limit federal power through a suite of changes, including a balanced budget rule and term limits, the AP reported.
"Under Article V of the Constitution, adding an amendment requires a two-thirds congressional vote and then ratification by three-fourths of states, or 38. That brought the country all 27 constitutional amendments," AP reported.
"Because it's hard to imagine Congress making itself less powerful, a second option is two-thirds of the states, or 34, requesting a national convention to draft amendments. Any amendments would subsequently have to be ratified by at least 38 states."
Texas' current campaign for a convention under Republican leadership goes beyond a balanced budget amendment pushed by some Article 5 proponents.
Supporters of a pure balanced budget amendment argue that the federal debt, quickly approaching $20 trillion, is now the greatest single risk to the United States.
"When I bring this forward, we're not saying that everything else is a bad idea, but I have to deal with the political realities," Kapenga said. "This is what people can rally around and I can get the votes on."
"Now there are other things, like reducing federal powers in other areas. I fully agree with that and I think most people do," the senator said. "But because we haven't done this in the history of our nation before, people are a little more comfortable saying let's go through a single subject first to make sure we understand how it works and get some comfort around it."
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