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The Assembly of State Legislatures Adjourns Without Finalizing Rules

Brian Grimmett

The Assembly of State Legislatures ended their three-day meeting in Salt Lake City on Friday without taking a final vote on a draft of rules for a Constitutional Convention.

The group is trying to establish rules for something called an Article V convention. It can be called if two-thirds of states pass resolutions calling for one, and its purpose is to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Disagreements over the proposed rules on Thursday led to legislators from several states skipping the final day on Friday. Republican state Senator Chris Kapenga from Wisconsins is a co-president of the group. He says in order from them to ever accomplish their goal, they’re going to have to understand compromise.

“The next meeting, the discussion is going to have to happen," he says. "And we’re not going to be able to walk away from a decision.”

While the assembly ran into problems this time around, Utah Senate President Wayne Neiderhauser says there is merit to pushing forward.

“There are states that are reticent at this point and I believe having a set of proposed rules that could be adopted helps answer questions of concerns by those states,” he says.

A date for their next meeting has not been finalized, but they are planning to meet in either Albany, New York, or Philadelphia. 

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