Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1131

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House 
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt, Clerk
, Clerk
, Clerk
, Clerk 
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http://legislature.
http://legislature.
http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm 
Printed on recycled paper 
56th Legislative Day 
Thursday, June 15, 2017 
Calling of the House to Order by the Speaker. 
Prayer by Reverend Annette Mott, First Congregational Church of Gray. 
Pledge of Allegiance. 
Doctor of the day, Mary Becker, M.D., Yarmouth. 
Reading of the Journal of yesterday. 
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HOUSE ADVANCE JOURNAL AND CALENDAR - Thursday, June 15, 2017
(4-2)  On motion of Representative CHAPMAN of Brooksville, the following Joint 
Resolution:  (H.P. 1131) 
JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING APPLICATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE 
UNITED STATES CALLING A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PROPOSE AN 
AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO RESOLVE THE 
ISSUE OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE 
WHEREAS, the first president of the United States, George Washington, stated "The 
basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and alter their Constitutions of 
Government"; and 
WHEREAS, James Madison stated that the Congress of the United States should be 
"dependent on the people alone"; and 
WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone to a 
dependency on those who spend excessively in elections or through elections or third-party 
groups; and 
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal 
Election Commission removed restrictions on amounts of independent political spending; and 
WHEREAS, the removal of those restrictions has resulted in the unjust influence of 
powerful economic forces, which have supplanted the will of the people by undermining our 
ability to choose our political leadership, write our own laws and determine the fate of our State; 
and 
WHEREAS, under the United States Constitution, Article V, the Congress of the United 
States, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments 
to the United States Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the 
several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments that, in either case, shall be 
valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the United States Constitution, when ratified by the 
legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as 
the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; now, therefore, be it 
RESOLVED: That the Legislature of Maine respectfully applies to the Congress of the 
United States to call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an 
amendment to the United States Constitution that addresses concerns about the removal of 
restrictions on amounts of independent political spending through Citizens United v. Federal 
Election Commission and related cases and events including those occurring long before or 
afterward or for a substantially similar purpose, and desires that the requested convention should 
be limited to that purpose; and be it further 
HOUSE ADVANCE JOURNAL AND CALENDAR - Thursday, June 15, 2017
RESOLVED: That this State desires that the delegates to the requested convention be 
composed equally of individuals currently elected to state and local office or be selected by 
election in each congressional district for the purpose of serving as delegates, that all individuals 
elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, be prohibited from serving as delegates 
to the requested convention and that the State intends to retain the ability to restrict or expand the 
power of its delegates within the limits expressed in this paragraph; and be it further 
RESOLVED: That this application by this body constitutes a continuing application in 
accordance with the United States Constitution, Article V until at least two-thirds of the 
legislatures of the several states have made similar application pursuant to Article V but, if 
Congress proposes an amendment to the United States Constitution identical in subject matter to 
that contained in this Joint Resolution, this application for a constitutional convention is no 
longer of any force or effect; and be it further 
RESOLVED: That this application is void, rescinded and of no effect in the event that 
such a convention is not limited to such a specific and exclusive purpose; and be it further 
RESOLVED: That this body proposes that the legislatures of the several states 
composing the United States apply to the Congress requesting the enactment of appropriate 
amendments to the United States Constitution or requiring the Congress to call a constitutional 
convention for proposing such amendments to the United States Constitution; and be it further 
RESOLVED: That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary 
of State, be transmitted to the Secretary of the Senate and presiding officers of both houses of the 
legislature of each of the several states in the nation, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United 
States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate and 
each member of the Maine Congressional Delegation. 
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