Joint resolution to repeal the 17th amendment to the US constitution
Summary
SJ 22 is a Montana joint resolution urging Congress to propose a federal constitutional amendment repealing the Seventeenth Amendment. The resolution argues that U.S. senators should again be selected by state legislatures rather than by direct popular election, and it lays out a proposed replacement framework in which each state legislature would choose senators, provide for their salary and benefits, establish liaison committees, and retain authority to remove senators.
The resolution is largely declaratory and political rather than self-executing: it does not change Montana law on its own, but instead asks the Montana congressional delegation and Congress to act on a constitutional amendment. It also directs the Secretary of State to transmit copies of the resolution to federal leaders and the state’s congressional delegation. If adopted nationally, the proposal would significantly alter the method of selecting U.S. senators and the relationship between state governments and the federal Senate.
Impact
Because SJ 22 is a joint resolution calling for a federal constitutional amendment, it does not directly amend Montana statutes or create a new state regulatory program. Its practical legal effect is limited to expressing the Legislature’s position and formally petitioning Congress to consider repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. If the proposed amendment were ever adopted, it would shift senatorial selection from statewide popular elections back to state legislative appointment and would increase state legislative involvement in senatorial oversight and removal.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have support from a meaningful but not majority coalition in the Montana Senate, where it passed committee and cleared second and third reading by narrower margins than a simple consensus measure. However, it ultimately failed in the House, where the vote not to concur was decisive, and the bill died in process. Overall, the sentiment in the Legislature was mixed: supportive among proponents of state sovereignty and federalism, but not strong enough to secure final passage.
Contention
The main point of contention is the core policy choice of whether U.S. senators should be elected directly by voters or chosen by state legislatures. Supporters frame repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment as a restoration of federalism, state authority, and the original constitutional design, while opponents likely viewed it as a rollback of direct democratic election and a reduction in voter control over senators. The bill’s proposed provisions on state-paid salaries, legislative removal power, and liaison committees also underscore concerns about increased state control over federal officeholders.
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