1 min read

Committee Approves Call For Balanced Budget Amendment

Associated Press0

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota Senate committee has approved a proposal that calls for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget.

The Senate State Affairs committee voted 5 to 3 Friday to send the resolution to the full Senate. If it’s approved, South Dakota would join 24 other states calling for a constitutional convention.

Republican lawmakers and citizens argued the amendment is necessary because federal lawmakers have been unable to address the country’s growing debt.

Opponents argue the convention could backfire and be used to rewrite many parts of the Constitution.

A separate bill the committee passed on Friday addresses those concerns. The measure would restrict a South Dakota convention representative from approving any unauthorized amendments.

It takes 34 states to trigger a convention and 38 states to approve an amendment.

The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.
Website http://ap.org/

Related Posts