Kansas committee hears hours of pro and con testimony on Article V 'convention of states' resolution

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee on Wednesday heard nearly two hours of testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 1604, a proposal to ask Congress to call an Article V convention of the states to propose amendments “to impose limits on the federal government.”

The resolution, introduced for a committee hearing, would be Kansas’ formal application to Congress under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Committee staffer Jason delivered a bill brief explaining that, if adopted by the Legislature, SCR 1604 would join other states applying for a convention limited to topics listed in the resolution: fiscal restraints on the federal government, limits on federal power and jurisdiction, and term limits for federal officials.

Supporters, including David Schneider and Ben Terrell of the Convention of States movement and Michael Farris, a constitutional lawyer and co‑founder of the Convention…