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Montana Senate debates Article V call for balanced-budget convention; resolution indefinitely postponed
Summary
Senate Joint Resolution 4, which would petition Congress to call an Article V convention to propose a balanced federal budget amendment, drew several hours of floor debate and was indefinitely postponed by a 23–27 vote.
Senate Joint Resolution 4, a petition asking Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V for the purpose of proposing a balanced federal budget amendment, drew extended debate on March 27 and was indefinitely postponed by the Senate.
Senator Nolan, sponsor of the resolution, argued the measure is “the only chance the Montana legislature has to take action in the fight to prevent Congress from bankrupting America,” repeatedly citing federal debt figures and framing the resolution as a tool to pressure Congress. Nolan urged support to push for a balanced-budget amendment and said states acting together could compel congressional action.
Opponents, including Senator Phelan and Senator Hertz, warned a convention could be unlimited in scope and could open the Constitution to broader revision. Senator Phelan argued applications under Article V for a convention are not inherently limited to a single topic and warned that a convention could propose broad constitutional changes. Senator Hertz and others described longstanding state limits and noted practical obstacles, including the persistence of declared national emergencies.
Debate featured extended historical and legal argument: several senators cited the Federal Constitution’s Article V and a 2014 Congressional Research Service report on Article V conventions; others referenced national-emergency statutes and past state efforts. Sponsors suggested the resolution would provide leverage to compel Congress to act and proposed a 10-year “debt brake” to phase in adjustments.
After multiple rounds of floor remarks, the Senate recorded a vote to indefinitely postpone the resolution: 23 senators voted in favor of advancement; 27 voted against, resulting in indefinite postponement.
The floor debate included a mix of fiscal arguments (debt, interest payments, inflation) and constitutional-process concerns (scope of an Article V convention, ratification thresholds); the indefinite postponement leaves the matter dormant in the Senate.
