HJR5002 applies to Congress for an Article V convention to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would establish term limits for members of Congress.
The South Dakota State Senate passed HJR5002 on March 4, 2025 by a vote of 25 to 10. We have assigned pluses to the nays because a so-called “Convention of the States” would not be of “limited” purpose. The vague and contradictory text contained in this joint resolution dangerously permits what Article V of the U.S. Constitution describes as a “Convention for proposing Amendments” or second constitutional convention. Article V was designed to correct structural deficiencies in the federal government, not the behavior of its elected officials. HJR5002 should be opposed in favor of less risky, more precise, and immediate solutions that would restore power back to the states and the people, such as clear-cut proposals in Congress to repeal bad amendments or state nullification of specific unconstitutional federal laws.
