Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s challenge to Obama on gun control – that if he wants more gun control, “come and take it!” Prior to the challenge Abbott gave a slightly belated gift to the residents of Texas, legalizing open carry of firearms.
Now he’s trying to bring other states on board in defiance of Obama’s executive overreach. As reported by The Dallas Morning News :
Gov. Greg Abbott, aiming to spark a national conversation about states’ rights, said Friday that he wants Texas to lead the call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution and wrest power from a federal government “run amok.”
“If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,” Abbott said during a speech at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation that drew raucous applause from the conservative audience. He said he will ask lawmakers to pass a bill authorizing Texas to join other states calling for a Convention of States.
A constitutional convention of the states is one way that the Constitution can be amended, which allows two-thirds ofs State legislatures to call for a convention to propose amendments. With Republicans controlling the majority of state governments, they have the upper hand if a convention were to be held.
With the speech, Abbott released a nearly 70-page plan outlining nine constitutional amendments to help scale back the Federal government’s excessive power. Those proposed amendments would:
* Prohibit congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.
* Require Congress to balance its budget.
* Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.
* Prohibit administrative agencies from pre-empting state law.
* Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
* Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law
* Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
* Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
* Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation.
A convention, Abbott wrote, would force the federal government to “take the Constitution seriously again.”
A fast-growing group of Republican governors have revolted against President Barack Obama’s existing plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees next year, saying the Paris terrorist attacks show that it’s too risky to provide a safe haven for those displaced by Syria’s bloody civil war.
In a sign of how quickly the fear of another major attack on U.S. soil has grown, more than two dozen GOP governors said the refugees are not welcome in their states, and two Democratic ones voiced some opposition.
And it wasn’t just Republican governors. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire joined in the pushback, calling on the federal government to stop accepting Syrian refugees until intelligence and defense officials can say the vetting process is as strong as possible to ensure Americans are safe. Steve Bullock of Montana said while no Syrian refugees have resettled there, it is reviewing its process to make certain Montanans aren't put at risk. “If there are any safety concerns about any refugees that are requesting settlement, they will be denied,” he said in a statement.
By now, governors from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Jersey, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Iowa, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Montana had joined Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who on Sunday led the charge in refusing to accept refugees from Syria. Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin, who won't take his oath of office until next month, also said on Monday that he is opposed.
Contrary to this, Democratic Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin condemned the Republican governors, announcing the state’s support to take in refugees and noting the U.S.’ “rigorous” screening system.
“The governors who are taking those actions are stomping on the qualities that make America great, which is reaching out to folks when they’re in trouble and offering them help, not hurting them,” Shumlin said at a press conference. “It’s the spirit of all Vermonters to ensure that when you have folks who are drowning, who are dying in pursuit of freedom, that Vermont does its part.”
Donald Trump and Ben Carson, who are leading the Republican polls, have also called for closing the borders to Syrian refugees. Trump, the billionaire business mogul, said Monday that the refugee effort could be “one of the great Trojan horses.”
“We cannot let them come into this country, period,” he said over the phone in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “And if they did — and I said it — if Obama through his weakness lets them come in I’m sending them out if I win. And, as you know, I’m leading by a lot right now.”
Now he’s trying to bring other states on board in defiance of Obama’s executive overreach. As reported by The Dallas Morning News :
Gov. Greg Abbott, aiming to spark a national conversation about states’ rights, said Friday that he wants Texas to lead the call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution and wrest power from a federal government “run amok.”
“If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,” Abbott said during a speech at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation that drew raucous applause from the conservative audience. He said he will ask lawmakers to pass a bill authorizing Texas to join other states calling for a Convention of States.
A constitutional convention of the states is one way that the Constitution can be amended, which allows two-thirds ofs State legislatures to call for a convention to propose amendments. With Republicans controlling the majority of state governments, they have the upper hand if a convention were to be held.
With the speech, Abbott released a nearly 70-page plan outlining nine constitutional amendments to help scale back the Federal government’s excessive power. Those proposed amendments would:
* Prohibit congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.
* Require Congress to balance its budget.
* Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.
* Prohibit administrative agencies from pre-empting state law.
* Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
* Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law
* Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
* Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
* Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation.
A convention, Abbott wrote, would force the federal government to “take the Constitution seriously again.”
A fast-growing group of Republican governors have revolted against President Barack Obama’s existing plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees next year, saying the Paris terrorist attacks show that it’s too risky to provide a safe haven for those displaced by Syria’s bloody civil war.
In a sign of how quickly the fear of another major attack on U.S. soil has grown, more than two dozen GOP governors said the refugees are not welcome in their states, and two Democratic ones voiced some opposition.
And it wasn’t just Republican governors. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire joined in the pushback, calling on the federal government to stop accepting Syrian refugees until intelligence and defense officials can say the vetting process is as strong as possible to ensure Americans are safe. Steve Bullock of Montana said while no Syrian refugees have resettled there, it is reviewing its process to make certain Montanans aren't put at risk. “If there are any safety concerns about any refugees that are requesting settlement, they will be denied,” he said in a statement.
By now, governors from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Jersey, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Iowa, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Montana had joined Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who on Sunday led the charge in refusing to accept refugees from Syria. Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin, who won't take his oath of office until next month, also said on Monday that he is opposed.
Contrary to this, Democratic Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin condemned the Republican governors, announcing the state’s support to take in refugees and noting the U.S.’ “rigorous” screening system.
“The governors who are taking those actions are stomping on the qualities that make America great, which is reaching out to folks when they’re in trouble and offering them help, not hurting them,” Shumlin said at a press conference. “It’s the spirit of all Vermonters to ensure that when you have folks who are drowning, who are dying in pursuit of freedom, that Vermont does its part.”
Donald Trump and Ben Carson, who are leading the Republican polls, have also called for closing the borders to Syrian refugees. Trump, the billionaire business mogul, said Monday that the refugee effort could be “one of the great Trojan horses.”
“We cannot let them come into this country, period,” he said over the phone in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “And if they did — and I said it — if Obama through his weakness lets them come in I’m sending them out if I win. And, as you know, I’m leading by a lot right now.”
Source:
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/syria-refugees-governors-reject-215927#ixzz3yqJVut8S
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