Texarkana Gazette

Abbott endorses constituti­onal convention again

- By Will Weissert

AUSTIN—Gov. Greg Abbott says state legislatur­es nationwide should convene a convention to amend the U.S. Constituti­on and restore freedoms embodied by President Ronald Reagan.

But Texas lawmakers have been trying to rewrite the Constituti­on since before Reagan took office—and even since before he was born.

The Legislatur­e has called for a convention to propose constituti­onal amendments 16 times previously, according to a list compiled by Gregory Watson, legislativ­e director for Fort Worth Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick. The first one in 1899 was boundless, simply "proposing amendments to said Constituti­on"—but later calls got far more specific.

In 1911, lawmakers wanted a constituti­onal convention to prohibit polygamy. In 1949, they sought to stop federal seizure of state tidelands. There was a call for one to overhaul the Electoral College in 1963. Nine years later, the Legislatur­e backed a constituti­onal convention for an amendment opposing forced busing to integrate public schools.

Abbott has nine reforms he'd like enshrined in the Constituti­on and a key one is a federal balanced budget amendment. But the Legislatur­e already called for a constituti­onal convention on that very issue in 1977 and 1978.

Klick has introduced legislatio­n voiding Texas' previous convention calls. A measure by Republican Sen. Craig Estes of Wichita Falls goes farther, seeking to rescind "each and every applicatio­n made at any time." The idea is to replace all that historical clutter with a call to advance only top modern, conservati­ve goals.

The Texas Senate is poised to pass a call for a constituti­onal convention early this week, including Estes' slate-clearing proposal. If ultimately approved, the new directive should stand until some future Legislatur­e decides it too wants to call for a constituti­onal convention—and for new, better, reasons than those devised way back in 2017.

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