The Wadsworth-Garrett Amendment

Report Outline
Text of Amendments
History of Article V
Successful and Unsuccessful Amendments
Proposals to Reduce Majorities
Regulation of Ratification by Legislatures (Garrett Amendment)
Reference of Ratification to Voters (Garrett Amendment)
Ratification by Popular Vote (Wadeworth Amendment)
Ratification by Conventions (Wadsworth Amendment)
Proposal of a Time Limit (Wadsworth Amendment)
Minority Control of Amendment

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:

1. 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