Forum: Amending the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is one of the few remaining symbols that unifies our increasingly divided nation. In 236 years, the Constitution has been amended only 27 times. It is purposely difficult to do. Each of the 27 amendments followed the same process: 2/3 of each chamber in congress proposed changes and 3/4s of the states ratified those proposals.

But there is another way to change the Constitution, one that has never been used before. An Article V constitutional convention imagines that state legislatures propose changes to the document. It requires at least 34 states to petition for a convention.

This year, interest groups have identified Idaho as a state that might petition for a constitutional convention, and it is likely that the Idaho Legislature will introduce a resolution to do so.

Join City Club for a discussion of the merits of a constitutional convention and whether Idaho should join or…