AZ Convention to change the Constitution has already opened!!

[LongTomH]

From AZ Central online: 'Historic' Arizona convention on changes to U.S. Constitution opens 1st day at Capitol. This is the convention the Koch Brothers and others have wanted:

Representatives from 22 states gathered at the Arizona Capitol Tuesday for the convening of America's first national convention of states in more than 150 years.

..............//snip

The intent of the Arizona Balanced Budget Amendment Planning Convention, which runs through Friday, is to lay groundwork for a future gathering at which state leaders will propose to restrict federal spending.

The rules set this week won't be binding, but they will be presented to the participants of any future Article V convention in hopes of adoption.

..............//snip

Protesters gather, too

Before the planning convention began Tuesday, several dozen people opposed to the effort gathered outside the Capitol holding signs and chanting, "Hands off our Constitution."

..............//snip

Arizona Rep. Isela Blanc, D-Tempe, said she fears the outcome of a constitutional convention that will be run primarily by white conservatives.

"This is not 200 years ago when you had founders coming together to create a great nation," she said. "These folks, who only represent their self-interests, are going to fight for the corporations, for billionaires. Forget the 99 percent."

Once these people begin mucking with the Constitution, what else could they do? Repeal the 17th Amendment perhaps?

[LonePirate]

1. They will try to repeal everything but the 2A and then add a whole slew of nefarious new amendments.

We need to do everything we can to make sure this convention of the states never happens.

[Initech]

7. I think it's going to take a war to do that.

If so I will sign up and fight. Fuck fascism and fuck the oligarchy!

[Lee Adama]

2. They have not met the conditions for a constitutional convention under Article V.

Thus, this is no different from the "Citizen Grand Juries" that were going to convict Obama of being born in Kenya.

It's complete and utter bullshit.

[CanonRay]

3. Umm...22 states can't change squat.

[MineralMan]

4. It's complete bullshit, this convention,

and can't change a damned word of it.

[Iliyah]

5. Yeah, but the last I heard, God supercedes the constitution.

They also believe they are above any laws and rules. Dangerous mindset.

[Initech]

6. The Koch Brothers want to write their criminal behavior into the constitution.

And that is not good for anybody.

[leftstreet]

8. The only winners here will be the food vendors

[Jim Lane]

9. They are dangerously close to being able to have a real convention.

Some right-wing goals, like an amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade, are unlikely to be achieved, because the 13 most progressive states could exercise an effective veto. (Ratification of any amendment requires 38 states.)

In other instances, though, the danger is that the whole process would be under the control of state legislators. They can call a convention, select the delegates, and act on any proposed amendments, with no substantive involvement by Congress. I could see even some blue-state legislators being attracted to:
* a federal balanced-budget amendment. The state legislator gets to posture as a proponent of sound budgeting. Then it's the members of Congress who have to make the unpopular decisions to raise taxes or cut spending. That will make them vulnerable to primary or general-election challenge -- quite possibly by the state legislator who made their unpopular action necessary in the first place.
* Congressional term limits. In case the incumbent Senator or Representative survives the effects of the balanced-budget amendment, he or she could be forced out anyway. It's usually hard to beat an incumbent at the polls. How nice to oust them without a vote of the people -- opening up their seats for, you guessed it, ambitious state legislators.

I'll bet a lot of them would like to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment and take back the power to elect Senators. The blowback on that one would probably be too fierce, though. The danger of balanced budget and term limits is that they can be made to appear as nonideological good-government reforms.

[crazycatlady]

11. the 19th amendment is also at risk

I bet a lot of Alt right frat boys don't want women voting

[Jim Lane]

12. Remember the "13 progressive states" rule

The frat boys can propose all they want, but as long as we can find 13 states that don't go along, it's dead.

Of course, the flip side is that 13 right-wing states could block any amendment that we want.

That's why I think the real danger is amendments that play on federal vs. state rather than left vs. right. Our progressive state legislators would defend women suffrage and reproductive rights, but I'm not so sure we can trust them on balanced budget and term limits.

[crazycatlady]

13. Let's start this year with that

Elections are less than two months away. You have the entire NJ statehouse (currently Dem supermajority) up as well as an open governor's seat to finally bring a trifecta.

In VA, you have an open governor's seat and the house of delegates up. Currently the GOP has a 17? seat majority.

Lastly there's a special election in WA that will decide who controls the state senate.

[Takket]

10. Good luck with that