SJR 3

As Introduced
136th General Assembly
    Regular Session  S. J. R. No. 3
       2025-2026
  Senators Reynolds, Lang
  Cosponsor: Senator Reineke
  A JOINT RESOLUTION
  Application to the Congress of the United States for a      1
  Convention of the States under Article V of the  2
  Constitution of the United States that is limited to      3
  proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on     4
  the federal government, limit the power and  5
  jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the     6
  terms of office for its officials and Members of  7
  Congress.  8
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     WHEREAS, The Founders of the Constitution of the United  9
States empowered State Legislators to be guardians of liberty  10
against excessive use of power by the federal government; and  11
     WHEREAS, The federal government has created a crushing  12
national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and  13
     WHEREAS, The federal government has ceased to operate  14
under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United  15
States; and  16
     WHEREAS, The federal government has invaded the legitimate  17
roles of the States through the manipulative process of federal  18
mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and  19
S. J. R. No. 3  Page 2
As Introduced
        WHEREAS, It is the solemn duty of the States to protect  20
the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations to  21
come, by proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United  22
States through a Convention of the States under Article V to  23
place clear restraints on these and related abuses of power; now  24
therefore be it  25
        RESOLVED, The Ohio General Assembly hereby applies to  26
Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution  27
of the United States, for the calling of a Convention of the  28
States limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal  29
restraints on the federal government, limit the power and  30
jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of  31
office for its officials and Members of Congress of the United  32
States; and be it further  33
        RESOLVED, This application constitutes a continuing  34
application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of  35
the United States until the legislatures of at least two-thirds  36
of the several States have made applications on the same  37
subject; and be it further  38
        RESOLVED, The Ohio General Assembly adopts this resolution  39
expressly subject to reservations, understandings, and  40
declarations, including:  41
        An application to the Congress of the United States to  42
call a Convention of the States to propose amendments to the  43
Constitution of the United States pursuant to Article V of the  44
Constitution of the United States confers no power to the  45
Congress other than the power to call such a Convention;  46
        The power of the Congress of the United States to exercise  47
this ministerial duty consists solely of the authority to name a  48
reasonable time and place for the initial meeting of a  49
S. J. R. No. 3  Page 3
As Introduced
Convention;  50
        The Congress of the United States shall perform its  51
ministerial duty of calling a Convention of the States for  52
proposing amendments only upon the receipt of applications for a  53
Convention of the States for the substantially same purpose as  54
this application from two-thirds of the legislatures of the  55
several States;  56
        The Congress of the United States does not have the power  57
or authority to determine any rules for the governing of a  58
Convention of the States for proposing amendments called  59
pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States;  60
        The Congress of the United States does not have the power  61
to set the number of delegates to be sent by any State to such a  62
Convention, nor does it have the power to name delegates to such  63
a Convention;  64
        The power to name delegates remains exclusively within the  65
authority of the legislatures of the several States;  66
        By definition, a Convention of the States means that the  67
States shall vote on the basis of one state, one vote;  68
        A Convention of the States for proposing amendments to the  69
Constitution of the United States convened pursuant to this  70
application shall be limited to consideration of the topics  71
specified herein and no other;  72
        This application is made with the express understanding  73
that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify, or  74
repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights shall not be  75
authorized for consideration at any stage;  76
        This application shall be void ab initio if ever used at  77
S. J. R. No. 3  Page 4
As Introduced
any stage to consider any change to any provision of the Bill of  78
Rights;  79
        Pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United  80
States, the Congress of the United States may determine whether  81
proposed amendments shall be ratified by the legislatures of the  82
several States or by special state ratification conventions;  83
        The Ohio General Assembly recommends that the Congress of  84
the United States select ratification by the legislatures of the  85
several States;  86
        The Ohio General Assembly may provide further instructions  87
to its delegates and may recall its delegates at any time for a  88
breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided;  89
and be it further  90
        RESOLVED, The Clerk of the Ohio Senate is hereby directed  91
to transmit duly authenticated copies of this application to the  92
President and Secretary of the United States Senate and to the  93
Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,  94
and to each member of the said Senate and House of  95
Representatives from this State; also to transmit duly  96
authenticated copies hereof to the presiding officers of each of  97
the legislative houses in the several States, requesting their  98
cooperation.  99