Orrin Hatch, co-sponsor of the proposed Repeal Amendment, lists ALEC 1st among amendment supporters

[highplainsdem]

Press release from Sen. Hatch:

http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ContentRecord_id=95d41983-7ca8-463a-85e2-1ea6c2e61601&ContentType_id=7e038728-1b18-46f4-bfa9-f4148be94d19&Group_id=e5b4c6c5-4877-493d-897b-d8ddac1a9a3e&MonthDisplay=5&YearDisplay=2011

May 12, 2011

Hatch Joins Bishop, Enzi In Introducing Constitutional Amendment To Empower States

WASHINGTON – At a news conference today, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a current member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his Utah colleague, Congressman Rob Bishop, and Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso both from Wyoming in introducing a constitutional amendment to reset the balance between the federal government and the states.

“The growth of federal regulation, government in Washington, and spending has fundamentally altered the essential balance between the states and the federal government,” said Hatch. “This common-sense amendment would empower the states by giving them the means of overturning costly and burdensome federal regulations and requirements that has fundamentally altered our federal system of government. I commend my friend Rob Bishop for reintroducing this amendment.”

The Repeal Amendment would address the layers of federal bureaucracy that are hurting job creation and wasting limited resources. This constitutional amendment would provide states with a constitutionally protected way to remove the most egregious rules, regulations and laws from the books.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, the National Tax Limitation Committee, The Americans for Tax Reform, Redstate.com, and the Young Americans for Freedom support this legislation along with state officials from Iowa, Montana, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah.

A Talking Points Memo article on this amendment several days ago

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/the-gops-new-constitutional-amendment-give-states-veto-power-over-federal-laws.php

called it a "tea party favorite" but Hatch is more accurate in listing ALEC first among the amendment's supporters.

ALEC is also pushing legislation that would allow individual states to "nullify" federal legislation within that state, but as another TPM article pointed out, the Repeal Amendment isn't nullification:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/repeal-amendment-supporters-this-isnt-nullification.php


The compilation topic on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has more information on this group.

And this page on the ALEC website

http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ALEC_Model_Resolutions_US_Constitution

lists "ALEC Model Resolutions Proposing Amendments to the U.S. Constitution" including the Repeal Amendment and the nullification amendment:

Government of the People Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

This Resolution petitions the U.S. Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would establish a way to nullify federal laws and regulations. It would enable the states to determine which laws and regulations exceed the federal government's authority under the U.S. Constitution.


Resolution Calling for a Constitutional Amendment Permitting Repeal of any Federal Law or Regulation

This Resolution petitions the U.S. Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution permitting the repeal of any federal law or regulation by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures. The delegates to such a convention would be selected according to procedures established by the legislatures of several states.

[Faux pas]

1. Now this is something truly interesting. Thanks.

[HereSince1628]

2. Free-range capitalism is a wedge that has broken the Union.

What their lobbyists couldn't achieve in DC, they are actualizing at the state level.

Astonishingly the raison d'etre of the federal system is openly questioned by national leaders promoting these proposals for nullification and repeal. This is Capitalist warfare against the very foundations of the Republic and the dream of a government by democratic representation with fair and uniformly applied laws.

Why? Because this is America, the bastion of Capitalism--a place where EVERYTHING has a price tag. State governments are cheaper to buy then the federal government. The corporate ideologues not only understood that for many generations, they had and still have, the wealth to acquire the most friendly governments they could buy. By granting money rights of free-speech, and thereby the control of votes in the Houses of our legislatures, we destroyed the Republic by turning democratic representation into a commodity to be marketed in an economic system stripped of the the most fundamental morals of western civilization (i.e. don't do things that will hurt your neighbor).

As it turned out, the strength of our once great nation rested but very tenuously upon the corruptibility of our weakest and laziest politicians. Once purchased, they have served their masters well, even learning to hand them kickbacks as "dues" in order to be fed ready-for-voting corporate friendly cookie-cutter legislation from organizations like A.L.E.C.

Representation of the people and concern for the protection of the people is openly mocked in the chambers of government. We now have governing bodies that overtly discuss ways to intentionally hurt 'the people' for whom just a few generations ago we deemed government to be of, for, and by.

And the reason to create this dystopia? It's purpose is merely to create conditions for yet fewer capitalists to assemble greater piles of even more shamelessly socially unburdened wealth.

[highplainsdem]

3. Capitalist warfare against the very foundations of the Republic -- exactly.

[Snotcicles]

4. Fascist POS. nt