Heartland Institute Experts Comment on South Dakota House Approval of Application for an Article V Convention

Published February 26, 2016

The South Dakota House of Representatives approved House Joint Resolution 1002 on Wednesday evening by a vote of 37 to 30. HJR 1002 is South Dakota’s application for an Article V convention backed by Convention of States. The application calls for a convention for the purpose of enacting a federal balanced budget amendment, imposing term limits on members of Congress, and reducing federal regulations. HJR 1002 now goes to the state Senate for approval. Convention of States is a project of Citizens for Self-Governance, an organization promoting citizen involvement in government.

South Dakota could become the sixth state to fully enact a resolution backed by Convention of States. Similar proposals are being considered in Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Convention of States has recently earned endorsements from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. The Heartland Institute’s Center on Constitutional Reform supports using Article V to amend the U.S. Constitution to rein in the power of the national government, but it endorses no single proposal.

The following statements from experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected] and 312/377-4000.


“The South Dakota House of Representatives sent a message to the Washington politicians on Wednesday night that the time to rein in the national government is now. A $19 trillion national debt, abuse of regulatory power, and a do-nothing Congress are why South Dakota is embracing the call for a convention of states.

“South Dakota has a long and proud tradition of demanding reform from the national government. The tradition comes from being an example for the rest of the nation on how to be fiscally responsible. The state Senate can continue the proud tradition by passing the call for a convention of states.”

Kyle Maichle
Project Manager, Constitutional Reform
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“The national debt – a measure of all outstanding debt owed by Washington, DC, plus the interest on that debt – is more than $19 trillion, or about $159,034 per taxpayer.

“Lawmakers in the South Dakota House of Representatives have done what lawmakers in DC are unwilling to do: take a real step towards stopping the unethical practice of passing the buck and dumping responsibility for their wasteful spending onto future generations.

“By approving the Convention of States resolution, the South Dakota House of Representatives is leading the charge towards fiscal responsibility and real reform in our nation.”

Jesse Hathaway
Managing Editor, Budget & Tax News
Research Fellow, The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“The South Dakota House of Representatives should be commended for taking action to rein in an out-of-control national government. Convention of States finally forces our national government to live up to the same balanced budget requirement in 49 states and imposes term limits on Congress.

“South Dakotans of various political persuasions support these amendments because these are the best policy prescriptions for getting our country back on track. The state Senate can send a message to the Washington politicians by passing a call for a Convention of States.”

David Guldenschuh
Policy Advisor for Constitutional Reform
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000


The Heartland Institute is a 32-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our Web site or call 312/377-4000.