WPCp b::D*uH/ABPwΓglu߾`ܙI)M! ߭&j I  Jخ Kh5X@}F|Y1rKP %%xPoz` f5B`B2/l?P3 ܫ| l`6g,44lykHSC_c%>{)/: J ][2{rR186=CT Zۗ(!6idGLqg%ҖBN 0PQs)x:7GQs;!Wе'xxm)I۹ò ,9uN,8 # ~UN % 0(w@4EYhHP LaserJet Series IIHPPCL,hh,0^G(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($ 1e[[YUU}h3|x !      XX StateLegislaturesSeekaConferanceConferenceOnCuttingFederal  GoverrnmentGovernmentsPower #X0X  7# 4 (X(#(#(ByJohnJ.FialkaStaffReporteroftheWallStreetJournelJournal @ МMarch6,1995  WASHINGTONTheBruisingfightoverthebalancedbudgetamendmentmayseemfinished,butroundtwoisloomingatstatelevel.  Legislaturesin20stateshavebeguntopassameasurecallingfora"conferanceconferenceofstate"togatherinChicagothissummertodiscusswaystofundamentallyrebalancerebalencethedistributionofpowersbetweenfederalandstategovernments.Backersofthemeeting,whichincludetheNationalGovernorsAssociation,expectdelegationsfrommoststateswillattend.  BecauselegislaturesoftwothirdsofthestaesstatescancallforaconventiontoproposeanamendmenttotheConstitutionandlegislaturesofthreefourthsofthestateshavethepowertoratfyratifyone,themeetingwillbeadisplayofdisplayofraw,constitutionalpowerthatcongressmencanignore,onlyattheirperil.  Thefirstitemontheagendawilllikelybeabalancedbudgetamedmentamendment,probablystrongerthantheonerejectedbyCongress."OurgoalistogobacktoCongressandsayyouhavethepowertodothesethingsonyourown,"saidNebraskaandoneofthecosponsorsofthemeeting."Wethinkthatiftheydidntdoitthenpeoplewouldrebelattheballotbox." FirstMeetingSince1787 \'"%    Thegatheringwillfirstbethefirst H(#& formalmeetingofthestatessince1787,whentheoriginal13drewuptheConstitutioninPhiladelphia.Gov.NelsonsaidthemeetingisntintendedtobeasecondConstitutionalConvention,butratheraforumwheresevenmemberdelegations,includinggovernors, - ), fromeachofthestatescanaddresstheirmainconcern,whichistocurbthepowerofWashington. p Asecondmeasure,hesaid,couldbeanamendmenttostopunfundedmandatesonthestates,ameasuremushstrongerthanlegislationbeingconsideredbyCongress."Weworrythattheywillbalancetheirbudgetandbustoursthroughthedevolutionofprogramstothestates." p Athirditemontheagendacouldbea"sunsetprovision"thatwouldallowtwothirdsofthestatelegislaturestonullifyanunpopularfederallaw,headds. p LaVarrWebb,deputytotheothercosponsoroftheevent,Gov.MikeLovittofUtah,saidtheideaforthemeetingcameaboutbetweenMr.Levitt,aRepublican,andMr.Nelson,aDemocrat,asawayto"putsomeclout"behindtheproposalsthatthegovernorshavebeenmakingforyears.Afirstmeeting,inJuly,willsettheagendaandtheproceduresforthesecond,scheduledforOctober,whenthestatedelegationswilldebateandvoteonselectedmesuresmeasures.Afterthat,anewpoliticaldocument,a"statespetition,"willbesenttoCongress,describingtheoutcome. p Thecontentsofthepetitionwillalsobesentbacktothevariousleglatureslegislatures,whichcouldbeginvotingonitemsonearly1996."Thiswilwillbedoneintheenvironmentofthe96electionandwethinkthatfederalismwillemergeasamajorissue,"Mr.Webbsaid. CheckonFederalAction  p&!M  p Theevent,whichisalsoendorsedbythecouncilofStateGovernmentsantheNationalCouncilofStateLegislatureshasalreadybeenapprovedbylegislauerslegislaturesin13statesandisbeingconsideredinmostothers,whereeighthouseshaveapprovedit. p "Wewantthestatestohavesomekindofcheckonthefederalgovernmentsactions." - )U saidRaySchepach,executivedirectoroftheNationalGovernorsAssociation.Therulesforthemeetingwillbecarefullydrawntopreventitfrombecomingaconstitutionalconvention,but,Mr.Schepachsaid,itcouldleadtoaconstitutionalconvetionconventioniftheresultsoftheconferanceconferenceareignored.  CharlesDuke,aconservativeColoradostatesenator,assertsthat,despitewhatthesponsorsaysay,theconferenceamountstoa"loadedgun"pointedatCongress."Bystartingwithastatesresolutionandappointingelectedofficialstoattendandpullingtogether34ormorestatestheyhaveandwebelievetheorganizrsorganizersintendedthisthebasicbuildingblocksofaconstitutionalconvention.  Sen.Duke,whohasbeenstumpingaroundthenationinoppositiontotheconference,saiditrisksseriousdamagetotheConstitution.  Aealrealconstitutionalconvention񛀄avehicleforporposingproposingamendmentsthathasneverbeeenbeenusedsincetheformationoftheConstitutioncansimplybypassCongress.Thenthematterofratifyingitsporposedproposed   amendmentoramendmentswoudwouldbeuptothelegislaturesofthreefourthsofthestates,along,verydifficultpoliticalroadcalledforbyArticleVoftheConstitution. p Despitethefactthatthepollsshowsthat80%ofAmericansfavorabalancedbudgetamendment,thepowerofnationallobbiestoswaytheoutcomewillremaneremainformidable."Itsveryeasytostopaconstitutionalamendment.Allyouneedisonehousein13states,"saisaidDoulsSeay,whohandlesliaisonwithstateleadersforHeritageFoundation,whichsupporttheamendment. p AccordingtotheNationalConferenceofStateLegislatures,sevenstatesrequireatleastatwothirdvotetoratifyanamendment,and17othershaverulesthatrequireamajorityofelectedlegislators,meaningthatabsentmemberisanautomaticnovote.Theendresultoftheconference,saidNebraskasGov.Nelson,isthatyearsoffrustrationatstatelevelwillfinallygetanoutlet."ImshockedattimesbywhatWashingtonhasntheardfromthepublic.Thepublicwantslessgovernment,period."  2 5(#(#X[5  &