The Colorado chapter of America’s largest pro-term limits group has sent a survey to candidates for the Colorado Legislature asking them to state whether they will vote for an amendment-proposing convention to put term limits on Congress.
A 2016 poll conducted by McLaughlin and Associates found that 81 percent of Colorado voters support the idea of a term limits convention, including 89 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of Democrats and 84 percent of independents.
U.S. Term Limits needs 34 states to pass resolutions in support of the term limits convention in order to convene it. The campaign scored its first win in early 2016 when the Florida Legislature passed its resolution.
Bob Berry, Colorado Director of U.S. Term Limits, says the organization will publicize the survey results and let constituents know where their legislators stand on congressional term limits.
“Four in five Colorado voters are tired of the status quo in Washington and demanding term limits on career politicians,” said Berry, a resident of Centennial. “Our Legislature needs to respect the people’s will and pass a resolution for the term limits convention next session.”
Berry emphasized that the resolution does not require the Legislature to choose how many terms U.S. representatives and senators will be able to serve; it just looks to build consensus around the idea that Congress needs a form of term limits.
“When the public agrees on something in overwhelming fashion, they are at least owed a national debate on that topic,” said Berry. “This is what the term limits convention will be, and hopefully it will propose a term limits amendment.”
Per Article V of the U.S. Constitution, Congress is mandated to call the term limits convention after 34 states have passed resolutions in support of it. Then, the convention is held with delegates selected by their respective states. Once the convention proposes a term limits amendment, that amendment needs affirmative votes from 38 states’ legislatures to become part of the Constitution.
The convention idea has seen renewed interest and support recently, especially after the pioneering work by Professor Rob Natelson of Colorado’s Independence Institute. Natelson’s research demonstrated that conventions were once used commonly in America’s history to solve problems between states, and would be a safe and effective means of amending the Constitution.
CLICK HERE to view the U.S. Term Limits Survey sent to candidates for the Colorado Legislature.
