SB120 proposed establishing a framework for selecting, overseeing, and potentially removing commissioners to represent Montana at a potential Article V Convention for proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The bill outlined procedures for appointing commissioners, defined their duties and limitations, and provided mechanisms for their oversight and removal.
The Montana State Senate passed SB120 on January 30, 2025 by a vote of 28 to 21. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill gives a false sense of security that an Article V Convention can be controlled. Although SB120 attempts to limit Montana's commissioners, it cannot bind delegates from other states or prevent a convention from proposing sweeping changes to the Constitution—including an entirely new constitution, as happened in 1787. Convention of States simulations in 2016 and 2023 produced amendments that would massively expand federal power, spending, and control. Rather than risking a runaway convention that could permanently alter or destroy the Constitution, state legislators should honor their oath, nullify unconstitutional federal actions, and use Article VI to enforce the Constitution we already have.
