by Stuart MacPhail  April 2019

Missouri Calls for AV Convention to Modify Amendment 13 –  
Missouri State Rep. Brandon Ellington has introduced HCR19, a bill asking his fellow legislators to apply for an Article V convention of states.  His proposal seeks a constitutional amendment removing the “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted” wording from the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, “thus completely abolishing the practice of involuntary servitude”.

This is the pertinent part of Amendment 13 as it exists: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Other Article V-related State Legislative Activity –       
Several state legislatures are considering bills that guide them in selecting delegates (or commissioners) to a future Article V convention, and provide instructions to them.

During current state legislative sessions seven states have had bills introduced that would rescind past Article V applications.  Most of those bills are already dead.  One is still active.

The ERA – It’s Not an Article V Issue, But It Is Related –
Proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment keep pushing for its resurrection.  So, state legislators will want to stay abreast of the issues surrounding what was until recently been thought as long-dead.

The National Constitution Center has published a piece entitled Can the Equal Rights Amendment be Revived?  Read it HERE.

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Cardin have introduced Senate Resolution 6, which would reopen consideration of the Equal Rights Amendment.  Their resolution would lift the ratification deadline to revive consideration of the ERA by the states.  They wrote a joint opinion piece for The Washington Post entitled Its time to finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment… that can be read HERE.

The Independent Women’s Forum published an overview of the status of the ERA movement under the title Is the ERA Dead in the Water? Or Just Gasping for Air?  Read their report HERE.

Article V Caucus