Article 10 – Amendments
Replace the Constitution with a new Constitution
A Constitution may replace another Constitution at the direction of a legal Constitutional Convention.
Amend the Constitution with an amendment(s)
An amendment must address only one topic,
There shall be the text (body) of the amendment,
The amendment shall not contain run-on sentences, i.e., sentences with semicolons or colons or other continuation punctuation. Each line of the amendment must express one thought and one thought only,
There shall be a section for definitions of the words used in the amendment if any of the words appear likely to have a debatable meaning over time,
There shall be a section for examples of the actions in the amendment if any of the actions appear likely to have a debatable meaning over time,
There shall be a section ordering Congress and/or the States to do the work needed to create any laws needed to implement the amendment.
There shall be a time set for the amendment to become a part of the Constitution.
No amendment is allowed which attempts to limit the power of future Citizens to amend the Constitution in any way. For example, State Representation in the Senate is a core principle of the federal system. We consider it disastrous to change the Senate to be representational like the House. Such an action was prohibited in the previous Constitution. If future Citizens wish to make that change, they can do so. Citizens must learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution. Notice that we make it much harder for Congress to propose amendments than Citizens or States.
The Citizens shall be granted the power of referendum to propose amendments. After 10% of the United States Citizens sign a petition of amendment, the petition signatures being approved in the various States, it will go to the SCOTUS for approval. The approval is only advisory. If not approved, the Citizens may make the modifications indicated by SCOTUS, the Citizens may drop it or the amendment shall go to the States for ratification if desired. If the amendment is changed then it must be resubmitted to the Citizens for approval again.
The States shall be granted the power to recommend amendments. Once the legislatures of 55% of the States have approved the amendment, it shall go to the SCOTUS for approval. The approval is only advisory. If not approved, the States may make the modifications indicated by SCOTUS, the States may drop it or the amendment shall go to the States for ratification if desired.
Once a State legislature or a public referendum has been taken, that vote in that State cannot be changed throughout the term of the pending amendment.