Idaho again skeptical of triggering convention to amend US Constitution

The Idaho House State Affairs Committee has rejected joining the call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Committee members voted 10-5 Friday morning against sending a convention resolution to the House floor.

It’s far from the first time Idaho lawmakers have considered the idea. Article V of the Constitution allows state legislatures to band together to call for such a convention. In recent years, supporters have argued it’s a way to require a balanced federal budget or place other limits on federal power.

But the Constitution does not limit what a convention could focus on. That has been a red flag for many politicians who fear broader changes to the American system of government. Recent convention resolutions in Idaho have regularly been voted down as a result.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article199300844.html