A joint resolution applying to Congress to call a convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Summary
HF4305 is a joint resolution by the Minnesota Legislature applying to Congress to call an Article V convention for the limited purpose of proposing a federal constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The resolution states that Minnesota believes a citizen legislature is in the public interest and that congressional term limits would reduce the influence of special interests, encourage members to focus on policy rather than reelection, and bring in new ideas and perspectives.
The resolution is structured as a continuing application under Article V and is intended to be aggregated only with other states’ applications on the same subject. It also directs the Minnesota Secretary of State to transmit copies of the resolution to congressional leaders, the U.S. Secretary of State, Minnesota’s congressional delegation, and the presiding officers of other state legislatures, seeking their cooperation in advancing the convention call.
Impact
If adopted, the resolution would not directly change Minnesota statutory law, but it would place Minnesota on record as formally requesting Congress to call a limited constitutional convention on congressional term limits. Its practical effect would be to add Minnesota’s application to the count of state applications that could trigger an Article V convention if two-thirds of the states apply on the same subject. The resolution affects the state’s relationship to federal constitutional amendment procedures and would primarily impact Congress, other state legislatures, and the broader term-limits movement rather than private parties or state agencies.
Sentiment
The bill text reflects strong support for the idea of term limits and a citizen legislature, framing the proposal as a reform to curb special-interest influence and improve democratic governance. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented debate or opposition in the available materials. The overall sentiment in the bill itself is clearly favorable toward congressional term limits and toward using an Article V convention mechanism to pursue that goal.
Contention
The main substantive issue is the use of an Article V convention, which can be controversial because some lawmakers and legal observers worry about the scope and risks of a convention once convened, even when it is described as limited to one subject. Another point of contention is the policy itself: supporters view term limits as a way to reduce entrenched incumbency and special-interest influence, while opponents often argue that term limits can weaken institutional knowledge and voter choice. The resolution attempts to address scope concerns by limiting aggregation only to same-subject applications and excluding other subjects.
Applying to the United States Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call for a convention for proposing an amendment to the constitution establishing congressional term limits.
A JOINT RESOLUTION applying for an Article V convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to set a limit on the number of terms of office for members of Congress.
Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution to limit the terms of office of members of Congress.
Applying To The United States Congress For An Article V Convention Of The States For The Purpose Of Proposing An Amendment To The United States Constitution To Impose Term Limits Of Members For The United States Congress.