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Government

Georgia lawmakers want to repeal the 17th Amendment

Feb. 20, 2013 5:11pm Meredith Jessup

As originally written, the United States Constitution outlined the elections of Senators by each state’s legislature. But after the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913, senators have been elected directly by the states’ voters. One hundred years later, a handful of state legislators in Georgia are hoping to revert back to the old way of doing things.

State House Resolution 273 was authored by Rep. Kevin Cooke, a Republican, who believes it would help restore the Founding Fathers’ original intentions. The non-binding resolution calls on Congress to begin action to repeal the 17th Amendment. The process would require two-thirds approval by both the U.S. House and Senate and ratification by at least three-quarters of the states.

The Douglas County Sentinel has more:

In addition to Cooke, other sponsors listed on the resolution include: District 68 Rep. Dustin Hightower, R-Carrollton; District 25 Rep. Mike Dudgeon, R-Johns Creek; District 157 Rep. Delvis Dutton, R-Glennville; District 102 Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville; and District 98 Rep. Josh Clark, R-Buford.

Cooke introduced a similar House resolution in 2010, but it never made it out of committee for a House floor vote.

“It’s a way we would again have our voice heard in the federal government, a way that doesn’t exist now,” Cooke said Monday afternoon. “This isn’t an idea of mine. This was what James Madison was writing. This would be a restoration of the Constitution, about how government is supposed to work.”

Cooke said the election of U.S. Senators by state legislatures was what Madison intended to give the states a check on the federal government, based on state sovereignty and ability of states to govern themselves.

“The fact that this coincides with the 100th anniversary gives us a pretty good snapshot of what has happened to the federal government since then,” he said. “The federal government has grown exponentially since the amendment was ratified. This would restore the constitution to what it was in 1913.”

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Comments (8)

Hoss471
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 4:51pm
Maybe we should return to the original law on voting. Only land owners had the right to vote, since they have a truly vested interest in the direction of this country, the land owner should have the voice in who runs it and how it is run, just sayin

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averageman
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:26am
Oh I forgot to say; FAT CHANCE…just watch the so called conservative congressmen and senators run and hide when this comes up…unfortunately its a small club and we aint members…

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NoSleeper
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 5:50am
The Senate, as originally implemented, is the body responsible for State’s Rights, which is why they were appointed by the State Legislatures. Making them elected has gutted the State’s ‘watchdogs,’ allowing State’s Rights to be erroded and unfunded mandates to be imposed.

Repeal the 17th.

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- averageman
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:23am
  Absolutely correct. If a person was unhappy with what his senator is doing, he could reach out to his state legislator, who is generally close by and accessible. He can say “look Assemblyman Bob, that guy is not representing us, call him on the carpet…” The way it is today , the senator is elected by the party bosses for LIFE and sometimes longer, with their wives filling the posts after they kick off at a ripe old age. They stay on until 90 or so years old, because they are a gravy train to their cronies… Yes, the 17th is a travesty. Go Georgia!
  
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RIDEMODELS
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 1:39am
The Constitution??…..You mean Obama’s toilet paper he does not ever brag about…!!

It would amaze me if we ever get to the point of limited Government unlike Venezuela….But I have an idea that Marco Rubio is trying that right now, no word on the “News” about it, but I think its happening…The silence is deafening.

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teapartyconservatism
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 1:30am
Repeal the 17th Amendment

“The heinous 17th Amendment to the Constitution instituted the general election of Senators by popular vote, just like House members and the President.

This ended the ingenious design of the Founding Fathers wherein two Senators were selected by each State Assembly, comprised of persons deemed worthy to be entrusted to State office by the local citizenry reliably familiar with one’s reputation and preceding public service in their home community.

These highly regarded State Assembly members would so carefully choose, often with fervent debate, two persons most trusted to abide faithfully to the Constitution, that a Senator is designated to serve a six year term as opposed to generally elected House members who serve only two and the President who serves four.

The Founding Fathers wisely precluded Senators from campaigning, knowing that if one could not buy Senate influence, it’s useless to bribe House members or a President. This proved to be such a successful impediment to those with ulterior motives sufficient to betray the Constitution, that they had no other choice but to change it. Exposing the entire law making process to equal financial pressure invited wholesale corruption. …”[1]

1. TPC, “Repeal the 17th Amendment,” http://www.obamabirthcertificate.net/2011/10/repeal-heinous-17th-amendment.html (updated April 22, 2012)

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Chuck Stein
Posted on February 20, 2013 at 6:36pm
The 17th Amemndment seems to be a failed experiment. Instead of bringing the Senate closer to the people, it has further empowered the Fourth Estate, trivialized the selection process and given additional benefits to money and celebrity.

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- TulsaYeeHaw
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 12:35am
  Or, 2/3′s of the states call for a convention with the sole and express limited purpose of repealing the 17th amendment. (throw in the 16th too.) And no, everything doesn’t have to be on the table.
  
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