For immediate release
January 4th, 2022
Contact: Aaron Dukette, U.S. Term Limits
Phone: (859) 779-0181
adukette@termlimits.com
Term Limits Convention Resolution Filed in Kentucky
Washington, D.C. — The Kentucky House of Representatives has filed a resolution applying for a convention to propose a congressional term limits amendment. Bill Request 989 (B.R. 989) is sponsored by State Rep. William Lawrence of District 70.
By using Article V of the U.S. Constitution, 34 state legislatures can call a convention to propose a congressional term limits amendment. The Term Limits Convention initiative is being spearheaded by the nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit advocacy group U.S. Term Limits.
The President of U.S. Term Limits, Philip Blumel commended the sponsor of the resolution for working on such an important issue. Blumel said that “The people of Kentucky are lucky to have public servants like Representative Lawrence who see what is going on in Washington, D.C. and are willing to take action to fix it. By using Article V to term limit Congress, they can restore balance between states and the federal government as our Founders intended.”
Blumel also noted the high popularity of congressional term limits, which receive 87% support from Republicans, 75% support from Independents and 83% support from Democrats nationwide, according to the most recent national poll by Scott Rasmussen.
In the 1990s, U.S. Term Limits assisted in successful campaigns to term limit 23 states’ congressional delegations by individual ballot measures. The Supreme Court ruled in the 1995 case U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton that these measures were unconstitutional, and that congressional term limits can only be imposed by constitutional amendment.
If the resolution passes in both chambers this session, Kentucky will join other states in passing the application for an Article V resolution for the exclusive purpose of proposing term limits on the U.S. Congress. Neighboring West Virginia passed the measure with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2021, and it also cleared the Tennessee House of Representatives. Once the states apply for the convention and approve the term limits amendment, it must be ratified by 38 states to become part of the U.S. Constitution.
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US Term Limits is the largest grassroots advocacy group focused solely on implementing term limits at all levels of government, but particularly on the U.S. Congress. Find out more at termlimits.org.