This article originally appeared in Fox 13. Read it in its entirety here.
SALT LAKE CITY — Groups on the right and left are uniting on Utah’s Capitol Hill to defeat a resolution calling for a constitutional convention of the United States.
Both groups have branded a resolution advancing in the Utah State Legislature as “dangerous.” Senate Joint Resolution 9 defied expectations and passed the Utah State Senate on Wednesday, headed for the House.
Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, speaks in support of his constitutional convention resolution. (Image by Doug Eldredge, FOX 13 News)
“You listen to both sides, you’d think the world is going to end!” said Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, who is sponsoring it.
Sporting a crown and cape made of “blue notes,” communications from constituents upset over SJR9, Sen. Vickers argued for a constitutional convention on the Senate floor.
“I think it’s a tool we need to use to make change in our country,” he said.
It narrowly passed on a 16-12 vote, now headed to the House of Representatives. On the Senate floor, lawmakers were divided. Sen. Allen Christensen, R-Ogden, called the resolution “very dangerous.” His comments were echoed by Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City.
“I think it’s a very dangerous call to call the entire Constitution of the United States into a conference,” he said. “Where we could lose more freedom than we could gain. With that I vote no.”
Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, supported it.
“I know there’s a lot of concern this could do bad things that anything can be proposed. But whatever’s proposed would have to pass three quarters of all the states,” he said.
The last time a constitutional convention was called was in 1787. It takes 34 states to call for one. If Utah’s resolution passes, we’d be state number 29.
The liberal Alliance for a Better Utah has joined with the conservative Utah Eagle Forum in actively lobbying against the bill. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Utah also is asking its members to defeat it.
“We’re opposed to this, the Eagle Forum is opposed to this, we think it’s a really, really dangerous bill,” said ABU’s policy director Lauren Simpson.
This article originally appeared in Fox 13. Read it in its entirety here.
