States are Calling for a National Federalism Task Force
By Stuart MacPhail – February 2020
Ken Ivory, a member of the State Legislators’ Article V Caucus Steering Committee and former Utah State Representative has submitted the following challenge to all US state legislators:
In 2005, I was elected chairman of a chamber of commerce that had lost its way. It had begun acting like community businesses existed to serve the chamber, instead of the chamber existing to serve them. The chamber had squandered a substantial financial reserve and membership was dwindling. The members knew for years that the chamber needed reformation. However, year after year, members kept waiting for the executive director, who was largely responsible for the chamber’s decline, to restore the vitality and mission of the organization. Only after the bank account hit zero did the board of directors assume their responsibility to restore the vitality of the organization, originally created to serve their needs and interests.
Our national government was created by the States to serve our citizens’ needs and interests. By all accounts, our federal government has lost its way. It’s acting much like the people and the states exist to serve the federal government, and not the other way around. Year after year, state leaders have been waiting for officials in DC to restore the vitality and mission of our national government. The literal and figurative national bank account is overdrawn. State legislators take office by constitutional oath (Article VI) to uphold and defend our “compound republic” system of government, created as “a double security to the rights of the people.” (Federalist 51).
Isn’t it time for the board of directors, the States, to assume responsibility to restore the vitality and structure of our unique system of government to more effectively serve the needs and interests of the American people?
Many state legislators are taking action. They are passing resolutions, and sending sign-on letters to NCSL, CSG and ALEC, calling for the creation of a bipartisan National Federalism Task Force to restore and maintain the limits, divisions and balance of governing powers engineered to efficiently and effectively serve the needs and interests of the American people at the most local level.
If you think it’s time to restore our efficient and effective system of government, please download the draft resolution HERE and take action in your state.
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The Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University can help with resources and support. For more information, please contact former Utah State Representative and UVU professor Ken Ivory at 801-694-8380 or kivory@uvu.edu.
