REFERENCE TITLE: federalism commission; summit; urging president

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2020

HM 2001

Introduced by

Representative Thorpe

A MEMORIAL

urging the president of the united states to establish a national federalism commission and to direct the commission to hold a summit.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

To the President of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, the genius of the United States of America lies in the autonomy of the people to govern themselves at the most local level, to solve their unique problems, to foster prosperity through liberty and to cultivate their unique endowment of human, capital and natural resources; and

Whereas, America's inimitable structure of government, and specifically federalism, secures the local voice and freedom of the people through clear divisions in the roles and responsibilities delegated between state and federal governments; and

Whereas, as explained in Federalist 51, a clear division of governing responsibilities was essential to provide "a double security... to the rights of the people" against overreach from either sphere, because "the different governments will control each other"; and

Whereas, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes the overarching theory and structure of our form of government to protect the people's liberty by stating, "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"; and

Whereas, absent a clear and certain division of responsibility between state and national governments, the structure of federalism is undermined and the resulting power vacuum is, by nature, filled by the government with the most accumulated power; and

Whereas, by all accounts, there is no such clearly discernible division of roles and responsibilities today; and

Whereas, regulations, laws, executive orders and court rulings emanating from the federal government have proliferated and have been met by agreement, acquiescence or inaction of the states, which has blurred the separation of responsibility and which further distorts the restrictions on the powers constitutionally delegated to the national government; and

Whereas, many Americans feel frustrated that the government is not efficient, effective or accountable, causing them to increasingly disengage from the government; and

Whereas, divisions, limits and balance in the various governing roles and responsibilities and the self-governing engagement of the people are essential to preserving our system. This singular system is the solution to securing the rights of the people over such an expansive and diverse nation.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, prays:

1.  That the President of the United States establish a National Federalism Commission composed of White House and administration officials, Members of Congress and state legislators, governors and attorneys general, in consultation with other stakeholders.

2.  That the President of the United States direct the National Federalism Commission to convene a National Federalism Summit series to develop plans for restoring and maintaining clearly discernible divisions in the roles and responsibilities of the national government and state governments for the benefit and engagement of the American people.

3.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit a copy of this Memorial to the President of the United States and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.