Today, Montana legislators heard a resolution that would add Montana to a list of 24 other states wanting to amend the U.S. Constitution to require Congress to pass a balanced budget.
Proponents say Montana’s constitution requires a balanced state budget, and the national debt of over $18 trillion is too much.
Opponents like Robert Brown, one of many John Birch Society members who came, say this would open a door for Congress to take advantage of the system.
“Congress has historically decided that they have tremendous power over the convention process.”
The resolution’s sponsor, Republican Representative Matthew Monforton, says this wouldn’t happen because states would still get the last say.
“Thirty-eight states need to ratify it. This is not a legal theory the John Birch Society is promulgating, it is a conspiracy theory.”?
The resolution is being heard in both the House and Senate, though neither voted on it today.
