Texas

Governor Abbott Reveals Plan to Restore the Rule of Law

By Brittany Clark, Jan 8, 2016
 

Governor Greg Abbott delivered the keynote address at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Annual Policy Orientation where he unveiled his Texas Plan to restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose, said a press release Friday. Governor Abbott offered nine constitutional amendments to reign in the federal government and restore the balance of power between the States and the United States. The Governor proposed achieving the constitutional amendments through a Convention Of States.

“The increasingly frequent departures from Constitutional principles are destroying the Rule of Law foundation on which this country was built,” Governor Abbott said. “We are succumbing to the caprice of man that our Founders fought to escape. The cure to these problems will not come from Washington D.C. Instead, the states must lead the way. To do that, I am adding another item to the agenda next session. I want legislation authorizing Texas to join other states in calling for a Convention of States to fix the cracks in our Constitution.”

Governor Abbott explained that dysfunction in Washington, D.C. stems largely from the federal government’s refusal to follow the Constitution. Congress routinely violates its enumerated powers, while taxing and spending its way from one financial crisis to another. The President exceeds his executive powers to impose heavy-handed regulations, and the Supreme Court imposes its policy views under the guise of judicial interpretation. Governor Abbott urged action by Texas and other states to restore the Rule of Law in America.

The following are the constitutional amendments that Governor Abbott offered:

  1. Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one State.
  2. Require Congress to balance its budget.
  3. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from creating federal law.
  4. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from preempting state law.
  5. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
  6. Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.
  7. Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
  8. Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
  9. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.

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Abbott and Costello , I mean Abbott and his toadie Paxton can't seem to understand , each time they open their mealy mouths , they encourage terrorist ( domestic ) to become more violent and to act on their sick fantasies . We need only look back on the massacre in Oklahoma city , where many innocent children lost their lives because the terrorist were encouraged by idiots who want to overthrow our present government . Of course its always the mealy mouths , who have never served a day of their lives in the armed forces , that want to overthrow our government . They will say that President Obama never served , but he is not a president who jumps at every chance to send our troops into harms way . We need only look a few hundred miles south , to see what anarchy and lawlessness are like . In Mexico no one is safe , there is always a chance that you , or your family , will not live to see another day . This is the type of life that these thugs want you to live . They don,t give a dam about anything other than to promote their sick perverted agenda. They don,t want to live in a truly free society . Unfortunately those who stand to lose the most are the ones who are least concerned . Can any one imagine what civil war is like , the horror of seeing all of your possessions lost in one bomb blast . Having to run from your home as well as your town because the terrorist have arrived and are burning everything to the ground because they don't like the way you voted in the last election . Imagine living out in the cold , the heat , without rest because you are constantly on the run . Imagine your family members becoming ill and there is no medicine no doctor no hospital to help you . No safe drinking water , no food . America is the greatest nation ever , in the history of the world , there are many good reasons why people want to live in America . People from all over the want to live here . There is always hope that things will get better , but if we let these idiots keep convincing the foolish people that their agenda is better , then we are in for a horrible horrible time .

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twr_98, Mon, 01/11/2016 - 12:34

Brittany, please get more information on this. How does Abbott propose to get the 2/3 vote? Statewide voting or just the vote of the legislatures or governors to overturn a federal law? A 2/3 vote to overturn the supreme court? Really?

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You might try reading the document before you post a bunch of drivel like this. If you read it, you will see the government has already been overthrown, and has been for 80 years. This is just an attempt to restore a lawless government to its place. Maybe if Trump wins and starts using his pen and phone to do stuff you dislike you'll get a clue. We have laws for a reason, but some people have to learn the hard way I guess.

http://gov.texas.gov/files/press-office/Restoring_The_Rule_Of_Law_01082016.pdf

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It's a shame that many of the politicians that were elected to state office devote so much time and effort toward tearing the federal government to shreds, rather than improving the conditions of Texans first. It appears they are all devotees of Grover Norquist who said "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."

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the founders originally gave us, you wouldn't have to worry who was POTUS because it would be largely irrelevant. Now that we have an executive branch that makes the law, interprets and enforces it... That's what most of you seem to want, so don't complain when you get what you wished for.

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This is not the first time a president has invoked executive action , some people think they can say anything and everyone will believe what they say , maybe in west texas , where hatred abounds for the president . I am very proud of the president . I say impeach president Obama , make him king of the world instead !

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referring to how all the Federal agencies function. They now create law, interpret, and enforce it, and the SCOTUS doesn't see a problem with that. No need for the involvement of Congress or the courts. If that doesn't concern you, you are extremely short-sighted. I'm sure a government less aligned with your views would never take advantage of the situation to do stuff you won't like.

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twr_98, Wed, 01/13/2016 - 11:50

Please be specific on a new law that an agency created? In my humble opinion, what has caused a lot of trouble is that there is no middle ground any more. Everyone panders to extremists on both sides, and use fear to 'drum up business' for their side. It is difficult for me to vote Republican because of some of their views on many things. The same with Democratic. Everyone wastes time pandering to those who are their base, instead of wooing the middle.

The SCOTUS is, and has been for quite some time, largely conservative with one or two swing votes. There should be more middle ground where we don't know beforehand what their decision will be. But the middle ground doesn't guarantee any one side more "victories" than the other but does ensure that both sides get a little taste of the pie.

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the link to the Texas Plan I provided above and read the document, you will understand the problem. Most of the Federal regulations in place today are not laws Congress created, and in some cases Congress even voted to toss them only to have the President veto their veto. That is not the way it is supposed to work.

Ruling on what is Constitutional is not a case where both sides get a taste of the pie. If one side is always wrong in wanting powers that simply do not exist, then they should lose every decision.

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The reasons you can drive safely down the road and not have your car fall apart , driving on big government funded roads , and if you crash into a big rig , you can feel safe that it was not carrying hazmat . If the cargo was a bomb and it blew your pumpkin head off , who would you call , not ghost busters , of course you call in the feds , so it wouldn't happen again , and on and on and on . I'll say it again , big government is good for little people . It is only because you disagree with some of the changes that have occurred this last year that you are howling like a wounded coyote . I'm sure that people reacted the same way when they stopped burning witches .

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