Now, 100 years later, a group of Georgia state representatives would like to repeal the 17th Amendment and return the election of senators to the state legislatures, a move they feel would restore the intent of the Founding Fathers.
House Resolution 273 was authored by District 18 Rep. Kevin Cooke, R-Carrollton, to request that the U.S. Congress begin action to repeal the 17th Amendment. The process would require a two-thirds approval by both the U.S. House and Senate, then ratification by at least three-quarters of the states. Political pundits give the move little chance of success.
In addition to Cooke, other sponsors listed on the resolution include: District 68 Rep. Dustin Hightower, R-Carrollton; District 25 Rep. Mike Dudgeon, R-Johns Creek; District 157 Rep. Delvis Dutton, R-Glennville; District 102 Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville; and District 98 Rep. Josh Clark, R-Buford.
Cooke introduced a similar House resolution in 2010, but it never made it out of committee for a House floor vote.
“It’s a way we would again have our voice heard in the federal government, a way that doesn’t exist now,” Cooke said Monday afternoon. “This isn’t an idea of mine. This was what James Madison was writing. This would be a restoration of the Constitution, about how government is supposed to work.”
Cooke said the election of U.S. Senators by state legislatures was what Madison intended to give the states a check on the federal government, based on state sovereignty and ability of states to govern themselves.
“The fact that this coincides with the 100th anniversary gives us a pretty good snapshot of what has happened to the federal government since then,” he said. “The federal government has grown exponentially since the amendment was ratified. This would restore the constitution to what it was in 1913.”
Cooke said that other state legislatures are working on similar resolutions and former Georgia U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, a Democrat, proposed a similar measure in his last year in office.
Dr. Robert Sanders, University of West Georgia political science professor, said the reason the 17th Amendment was passed was to stop widespread corruption that was rampant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“There was a lot of corruption from interest groups who were buying state legislators,” Sanders said. “The legislators were easy to buy out and the interest groups could get who they wanted for U.S. Senators.”
He called the current move to appeal the amendment “a step backwards” and “a step by one party to find another way to stay in power by circumventing the process.”
Sanders said he feels the resolution has little chance to make it through the Georgia General Assembly, let alone Congress.
“I can’t see any democratic person allowing this to happen,” he said. “It’s just an antiquated way to hold on to power.”
However, Cooke said he doesn’t believe corruption would be a problem in this current era.
“It’s the responsibility of each and every citizen to make sure of who gets elected to office, that they’re principled people,” he said. “You can look at the current state of ethics and transparency. Anybody has the ability to look at money being donated to campaigns. It would keep anything from being done out of the public eye.”
Dudgeon, although signed on as a sponsor, admits the resolution is a “long shot,” but added that it’s a conversation that needs to be had.
“The way we choose our Senators and the super-giant expansion of the federal government makes it something so important that it needs to be said,” he said. “We had the same resolution two years ago when I started in the General Assembly. It didn’t make it to a vote. It’s hard to get to a vote because a lot of people don’t understand the history behind it and the connection between the states having no representation in Washington. The federal government has taken over all the powers that used to be left to the states, because the Senate doesn’t represent the states anymore.”
Dudgeon said that, as for corruption, we have a different kind of corruption now with millions of dollars of lobbying money and influence at the national level.
Speaking on the type of corruption that brought about the passage of the 17th Amendment, Dudgeon said, “With all the news coverage and blogs we have now, that kind of corruption would be hard to exist, like it was 100 years ago. What was the cure of 1913 is now worse than the disease.”
In a posting to the Peach Pundit blog site, Dudgeon said, “In some ways, states have become giant departments of the federal government. All the big benefit programs like Medicaid, welfare, and now 'Obamacare,' are left to the states to somehow make them work. A Senate that represented the states would be so much more reluctant to go along with these giant expansions.”
However, he admitted, “Is [the bill] a long shot? – absolutely.”
Son of Loretta and Calvin McPherson. Although he is a resident of Fairfield Plantation in Villa Rica, Ga, The facility bus children with disabilities in the Carroll County from schools to his location for training. It is devastating that this organization fueled by a pedophile has not been detected by the community yet. The community of Ohio did not have the opportunity to defend themselves against this pedophile and previous owner of Morning Glories Daycare. Unfortunately, Lathan Access Technologies, has been applauded as a pillar of the community. The great reward is the Carroll Advocacy Center in the same neighborhood. I feel that this organization will set a clear message to the children, the community and other states when it rids the community of this deception.
Reginald Lathan Sr., my father and abuser, raped, drugged, beat and enslaved me and others without compassion. February 18th, 2013 he left another message threatening children that he has victimized. He has made false police reports with the intent to scorn the children he has molested recently. For the past 3 months our lives have been a remembrance of the lifetime of devastation caused by Reginald Lathan Sr. Children and others involved have received numerous threats of harassment from Reginald Lathan Sr and his employee Rolisha Lathan, of RoeLathan company. It is rewarding to see that the Oak Mountain Academy, along with other schools will receive training on signs of child abuse and Pedophilia behavior.
Reginald Lathan Sr is very familiar with the students and staff of Oak Mountain Academy. Unfortunately, it has gone undetected that he is their very threat. There is a child that understands the harm he has caused to Oak Mountain Academy. That child is a student there and also one of many victims left in silence. Unsurprisingly Reginald Lathan has a child in his care, my brother, left alone with a rapist of young boys and girls. My brother is left on the property with Calvin and Loretta McPherson, whom were told 25 years ago by a young girl being rapped by my father. My brother is left with his family and employee of Reginald Lathan Sr that has detailed the corruption of keeping secrets to safeguard the estate.
The average pedophile will molest 354 young boys and girls in their lifetime. Reginald Lathan Sr has based his career around hundreds of children yearly, for the past decade. The community has the right to protect their children. The community has the right to be armed with the facts. I compel anyone to verify the facts of my statements. The documentation is overwhelming. The community need to understand why haven't Reginald Lathan Sr been restrained from their children.
For the past 3 months there has been numerous reports made. Although the threat of our children's well being has not been a priority to all. The Child Advocacy Center is the first of its kind in this community and I hope Reginald Lathan Sr is the last pedophile to be applauded as a pillar of the community.
One million dollars is nothing to One million voices.
our children are priceless.
our children are not for sale.
tacewhocares.wordpress.com
"Thru A Child's Eyes. WHO CARES?" Sharnae Lathan
sl@tacewhocares.mygbiz.com
morons
Every two years ya'll can put your names on a ballot. Yea, that's what I thought.
Then, something meaningful could happen. I propose the Convention strengthen the 2nd Amendment, strengthen the 4th Amendment, set a single 6 year term for the President, set term limits for Congressmen and Senators, require a balanced federal budget, modify the 14th Amendment to be rid of "anchor-baby citizens" and eliminate constitional rights for convicted felons. We could also modify the 8th Amendment and bring back town-square hangings or simply the good ol' electric chair. As importantly, we could constitutionally define due process for convicted murderers so they don't have to wait on death row for 25-30 years. Let's think of the convicts.
Yep, this country needs a good revision and blood letting and a good old fashioned Constitutional Convention just might be the answer. After all, the Tea Party already has members with just the right retro costumes.
Why don't you work to rid the general assembly of corruption, via campaign contributions to you legislators, before you seek to rip apart the Constitution?
As a matter of fact, why don't you, Randy, Dusty & Mike publicly post your current campaign contributions list in this newspaper?
We (the) people, whose vote would be lost under your proposal, would like to know who is giving you guys money?