The Utah Senate asked Congress to repeal the 17th Amendment, which was ratified under the Progressive’s of 1913. Utah has boldly challenged a system that was never the intent of the Founding Fathers and suggests that the 17th Amendment has resulted in Senators being bound to special interest groups, that donate enormous sums of money for the Senator’s re-election, and not representing the needs of the people of Utah.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Al Jackson of Utah, believes that Senators need to “come home every weekend and take direction from their state legislative (sic) body and from the House and the Governor on how they should vote in the upcoming week.”
Passing with 20-6 SJR2 was sent to the House. It demands that Congress repeal the 17th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Read a history of the 17th Amendment and why Utah has made such a bold call to action on the following page.
don’t give John McCain any ideas
They want to rid us of the 17th amendment because they dont like that senators cater to lobbiests and special interest groups? so they think removing that amendment will empower them to directly intervene in the goings on of the senate to prevent corruption?.. so sorry but that would enable even more corruption. if you dont like corruption in your politicians, then elect more honest people!
Good. The Senate was to be the stabilizing force and representatives of the states, not the people. Repealing the 17th would increase state sovereignty and power.
To Mr : Schooh I’m going to half to look that one up thanks!
Campaign finance reform is the real problem… along with partisan politics… start with repealing Citizens United…
I agree with this. Before the 17th Amendment, states had the power to recall their Senator if he was not representing the interest of the State. The House represents the interest of the people, the Senate represents the interest of the State; the two are not always the same. With the 17th Amendment, Senators can disregard the interest of the State. I say we should have never ratified the 17th Amendment in the first place.
This is just a Ploy to start the destruction of our constitution! Once one amendment is eliminated it will be easier and easier to destroy the rest of the document!
If Senators were appointed by the States as originally intended, the Democrats would not have controlled the Senate during the Obama Administration’s first term. It was designed to be a check on the House & the uninformed voters. Under this system, the voters had a voice through their elected State Reps. The existing system has just made the Senate another House of Representatives.
The Founders had nothing to do with the 17th amendment. It was radioed in 1913 along with the 16th amendment that gave us the totally unconstitutional Income tax!
it absolutely should be repealed. It was one of the 1st steps in of the early progressive agenda. The purpose of the senate was originally to serve the states…..not the federal government or a political party. Do your home work, Don. The state legislatures should be able to appoint and remove senators. By making them apart of direct election, the states lost power. Thus, a buffoon, like Obama can come in and enforce his will on the states. Illeagally.