By Alia Beard Rau | The Republic
Representatives from 22 states gathered at the Arizona Capitol Tuesday for the convening of America’s first national convention of states in more than 150 years.
“This is indeed historic,” said Ken Ivory, a member of the Utah House of Representatives. “This is the first time since 1861 that we’ve been here, and as of this week we’ve now eclipsed $20 trillion in national debt.”
The intent of the Arizona Balanced Budget Amendment Planning Convention, which runs through Friday, is to lay groundwork for a future gathering at which state leaders will propose to restrict federal spending.
The rules set this week won’t be binding, but they will be presented to the participants of any future Article V convention in hopes of adoption.
