State Representative Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) announced that in an effort to rein in federal government spending, the Ohio House of Representatives passed Senate Joint Resolution 5 during session today. The legislation was introduced by Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) in the Senate.
The resolution urges Congress, pursuant to Article V of the constitution, to call a convention of the states for the purpose of proposing a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. As amended, S.J.R. 5 does not allow for the discussion of other amendments during the convention and would focus only on balancing the budget.
“It’s important to make Ohio’s voice on this issue known,” Rep. Romanchuk said. “With the United States being $17 trillion in debt, we are on an unsustainable path. On a state level, we are constitutionally required to balance our budget. It is long overdue that the federal government be required to do the same thing.”
If 34 states pass similar resolutions, then Congress must set a time and location for the convention to occur, in which delegates of each state legislature will debate the balanced budget amendment. Ohio will be the 20th state to pass a resolution of this kind.
S.J.R. 5 will now move to the Senate for concurrence.