TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Legislature passed two resolutions, HCR 703/SCR 324 Balanced Federal Budget and HCR 693/SCR 326 Congressional Term Limits, that re-assert Florida’s call for a dangerous Article V Convention, effectively jeopardizing protected freedoms of the U.S. Constitution through an ambiguous open-forum revision process.

The resolutions will now be presented to the Secretary of State.  The Governor has already clearly indicated his support for this legislative action.  

In response to the passage of these resolutions, Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida issued the following statement: 

“These resolutions pose a very serious threat to the future of our democracy.  

“However you may feel about a Balanced Federal Budget or Congressional Term Limits, I think most Floridians would agree that these things are not worth opening the entire U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights up to revision in a forum that risks being hijacked by wealthy and ideological special interests. 

“Article V of the U.S. Constitution says Congress has to hold a constitutional convention if two-thirds of states call for one, but it provides no rules for how a convention would be conducted. That’s why leaders on both the left and right are concerned about a runaway convention that could revise or remove our most cherished constitutionally protected freedoms. There are no rules limiting a convention to a specific issue. There are no rules preventing corporations from pouring money in to influence delegates. And there are no guidelines as to how decisions would be made.  

“If legislators care anything for the freedoms Americans hold dear, we must rescind these calls for an Article V convention immediately.”

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