Academy of States 1.0:

Fiscal Sustainability I

Dozens of state legislators gathered in Salt Lake City on July 30, 2021 to learn about Article V’s state convention mechanism for proposing constitutional amendments, and how it can be used to impose fiscal sanity on Washington. Our panel of experts included:

  • Ken Ivory, former Utah State Representative and Chair of both the Convention of States Project’s 2016 Williamsburg Convention and the 2017 Phoenix Convention

  • David Walker: former Comptroller General and CEO of the US Government Accountability Office

  • Professor Rob Natelson: Senior Fellow of Constitutional Jurisprudence at the Independence Institute

  • Dr. Barry Poulson: University of Colorado Economics Professor Emeritus

  • David Biddulph: co-founder of the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force and Let Us Vote for a BBA

  • Bob Carlstrom: President of AMAC Action, the lobbying arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens

  • Congresswoman and former New Mexico State Representative Yvette Harrell

  • South Carolina State Senator Rex Rice

RESOURCES

PDF Handout:
This 174-page document includes all the resources and handouts from the academy. It includes bookmarks to provide an easily navigable menu.

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Video Q&A from the Fiscal Responsibility Academy

All links open on YouTube

Is a Balanced Budget/Fiscal Responsibility Amendment Necessary for a Sustainable Economic Future? 

The Honorable David Walker, Former US Comptroller General

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Can a Balanced Budget/Fiscal Responsibility Amendment be Enforced? 

Panel Discussion

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Would a Balanced Budget/Fiscal Responsibility Amendment Necessarily Result in Higher Taxes? 

Panel Discussion

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Can Article V be Safely Used to Solve the Federal Debt Crisis? 

Professor Robert Natelson, Senior Fellow at The Independence Institute

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What Happens if Congress Refuses to Exercise its Ministerial Duty to “Call” an Article V Convention?  

Professor Robert Natelson, Senior Fellow at The Independence Institute

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Are Constitutional Amendments Effective? 

Professor Robert Natelson, Senior Fellow at The Independence Institute 

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What Legal Protections can be Added by the States to Ensure Article V Conventions cannot “Run Away?” 

Professor Robert Natelson, Senior Fellow at The Independence Institute 

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What is the History and Significance of the State Convention Mode of Ratification? 

David Biddulph, Co-founder of the Let Us Vote Foundation 

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How Close is the Count for Calling an Article V Convention? 

Professor Robert Natelson, Senior Fellow at The Independence Institute 

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What are the Leading Proposals to Guide a Balanced Budget/Fiscal Responsibility Amendment? ​

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Who has the power to impose accountability on Congress? 

Bob Carlstrom, President, AMAC Action

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Concluding Remarks and the Significance of the Phoenix Correspondence Commission 

Ken Ivory, Moderator/Tom Llewellyn, BBA Planning Convention Commissioner 

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Article V and a Balanced Budget Amendment 

Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (NM)

Recent Events

 

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Fiscal Sustainability 1

Salt Lake City, UT – July 2021

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San Diego, CA – December 2021

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Delegate Administration

Denver, CO – August 2022

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