A Michigan House Committee heard testimony Thursday on a policy to get Michigan ready in the case of a federal constitutional convention.
The proposal includes a concurrent resolution laying out how lawmakers would assign Michigan’s convention delegates and a bill to describe what delegates could and couldn’t do.
Under the plan, the majority and minority leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate would each pick a delegate. The four delegates would then pick a fifth member on their own.
Members of the group could face felony charges and up to five years in prison for acting beyond their scope of duty. That includes bribing or threatening others to keep them from doing their job.
The process of convening a constitutional convention through state legislatures under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution requires action by 34 states, two-thirds of the 50 total.
Sarah Santana, Michigan state director for the group Convention of States, said Michigan should get the process cemented now to avoid a fight down the road.
“Michigan may not be one of the 34 states when a convention is called. But I don’t think Michigan wants to be unrepresented at a convention; that seems to be very, very important. So, this would be a step to ensure that Michigan’s voice is not absent in the event of an Article 5 convention,” she told the Michigan House Government Operations Committee Thursday.
Santana’s group says 20 states, including Florida, Indiana, and Wisconsin, have so far called for a convention to change the U.S. Constitution.
State Representative John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) is the minority vice chair of the Government Operations Committee. He said he doesn’t understand the drive behind the policy since a resolution from this legislative session would no longer apply after it ends in December.
“This chamber cannot hold another, or hold a future legislature to completing their work. And so, I don’t exactly understand what is the need for it right now. The concern was we need to be prepared. But prepared for how many months?” Fitzgerald told reporters.
Nationally, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been gathering support for four constitutional amendments he wants to see passed. Recently, he stopped in Kentucky to promote an amendment to require Congress to pass a balanced budget.
Michigan state Representative Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) sponsors the effort here. He predicts a constitutional convention is coming sooner or later.
“As states look ta the federal government and see the problems that are magnifying themselves there and not getting solved, I think a convention of the states is going to start making a lot more sense to almost everybody,” Meerman said.
He said even if a convention doesn’t come this year, the bill and resolution could serve as a starting point for the future.
