The Wadsworth-Garrett Amendment

Archive Report

The Wadsworth-Garrett constitutional amendment will be the most far-reaching proposal for change in the fundamental law to come before the Sixty Ninth Congress. It proposes to revise Article V of the Constitution to permit direct participation by the voters in the ratification of future constitutional amendments.

As originally introduced at the opening of the long session of the Sixty Eighth Congress the Wadsworth-Garrett amendment proposed to make three changes in the prescribed method of ratification, as follows:

  • At least one house of the legislatures which may ratify future constitutional amendments shall be elected after the submission of the amendment by Congress to the States
  • Any State may require that the ratification of an amendment by its legislature be subject to confirmation by popular vote.
  • Until three fourths of ...
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