PA Lawmakers Examine Convention Of States On US Constitution
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) --- The House and Senate State Government Committees held a joint hearing Monday to consider whether Pennsylvania should join with other states in calling for a convention to consider amendments to the US Constitution.
Lawmakers heard arguments for and against a resolution that would urge Congress to call a convention of the states.
The resolution states that the Constitutional amendments that would be considered would be limited to issues such as fiscal restraints and limits on the power of the federal government. But even before testimony began, Republican Mike Folmer - chairman of the Senate State Government Committee - set the tone for the hearing, which centered on concerns that such a convention of states could go farther than intended.
"While, I believe changes are needed to amend the US Constitution, I nonetheless have a number of concerns…beginning with potential problems of a quote-unquote "runaway" convention – where a prior form of government is scrapped in favor of a new one," he said.
Folmer says the issue of Pennsylvania getting behind the effort is only in the 'information gathering stage' at this point.