Idaho Senate Panel Backs Constitutional Convention Bill

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho Senate committee has approved legislation that would establish some of the perimeters in the event a convention is called to revise the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Bill 1350 would allow the Idaho Legislature to select its own constitutional delegates and provide them with rules to follow during the convention. The U.S. Constitution says Congress can only call a convention if it gets applications from two-thirds or 34 states. Over the years, legislatures have considered proposals calling for a convention to pass a federal balanced budget amendment.

However, the United States has never held a constitutional convention since George Washington himself led the original proceedings in Philadelphia in 1787. The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 5-3 on Monday to send the bill to the Senate floor. Opponents argued the measure suggests the current Constitution is flawed and worry about unforeseen outcomes of holding such a convention.