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Committee passes two joint resolutions asking federal action and weighing constitutional questions
Summary
The committee approved House Joint Resolution 25, urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment, and House Joint Resolution 24, expressing support for Utah's constitutional question; both passed to the House floor after recorded roll-call votes (each 8-6). Debate included references to the Seventeenth Amendment and Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2.
The House Energy committee voted to advance two joint resolutions addressing federal constitutional questions.
House Joint Resolution 25, described by Representative Mallette as a way to "ask Congress to propose an amendment to the Constitution," was recommended for passage. Members discussed that the resolution is a statement to begin conversation rather than a convention of states. The committee recorded an 8-6 roll-call vote in favor and sent HJR25 to the House floor.
House Joint Resolution 24, which the committee debated with legal citations and historical references, drew both support and concern. Representative Griffith cited legal research and case law she believed limited the request, referencing Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 and an earlier case she called 'Clippy versus New Mexico'; Representative Fielder and others argued Utah's enabling-act-based request has precedents and support from other states. After debate, the committee recorded an 8-6 roll-call vote in favor and sent HJR24 to the floor.
Committee members emphasized that both resolutions are symbolic statements to Congress or the courts and not immediate transfers of land or property; speakers urged careful legal consideration while some members said the resolutions are a modest step to begin addressing perceived federal overreach.
