It cleared the Montana State Senate on first reading. It cleared the Montana State Senate on second reading. But then on third reading a proposed Convention of States failed in a tie 25-25 vote.

State Senator Tom McGillvray (R-Billings) is pushing SJ2 in the Montana Senate which would call for an Article V Convention of States to try and reign in federal government spending. Here's what Sen. McGillvray told us earlier this week.

Sen. McGillvray: The federal government's now pushing $32 trillion of debt, $277 trillion of unfunded liabilities, another $12 trillion of debt that they're guaranteeing for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. So ultimately, President Biden's budget shows that we'll be paying about $1.1-plus trillion of interest per year by 2032, and that's before interest rates went up.

 

Sen. McGillvray and I also discussed how the United States will soon be spending more money

You cannot provide for the common defense, you cannot promote the general welfare, you cannot do these types of things that our Constitution allows us to do if you're spending all your money on interest. It'll lead to stagnation, inflation, taxation, or all three together. It is a disaster for the US economy. So this resolution seeks to address these by forcing Congress to discipline itself. Like President Reagan said, Congress will never discipline itself. You gotta rely on the states to force Congress to act...the legislature is the last bastion of hope for this country and that's the case I'll be making.

 

Here is the full video of the Montana Senate floor debate featuring both supporters and opponents of the proposed Convention of States. The debate starts around the 45 minute mark in the below video:

 

 

LOOK: What major laws were passed the year you were born?

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

 

More From Montana Talks