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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The current Texas Constitution is this state's fifth |
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charter document since statehood, having been formed on the basis |
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of previous documents dating back to the days when Texas was an |
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independent republic; and |
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WHEREAS, The proud independence of Texas has carried forth |
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inimitably through each of its constitutions, granting the |
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government limited powers and giving broad control to voters, |
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thereby embodying the principle of "consent of the governed"; and |
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WHEREAS, First enacted in 1876, the Texas Constitution was |
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organized into 289 sections contained within 17 articles outlining |
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the scope, role, and limitations of governance in this state; |
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through proposed changes sent to Texas voters by the legislature, |
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sections within those same 17 articles have been added and deleted, |
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bringing our current document to 385 sections; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 has expanded through |
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the ratification of proposed amendments, with 484 amendments being |
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approved, while 179 have been defeated; and |
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WHEREAS, Today the Texas Constitution is the nation's |
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second-longest such document; sections have been placed in the |
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constitution with apparent disregard for the appropriate article |
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with which they belong; outdated bonding authority and other |
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archaic references remain in the document, despite previous |
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attempts to address nonsubstantive revisions to the Texas |
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Constitution, the most recent of which occurred in 1999; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Constitution of 1876 remains the supreme |
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law of the State of Texas, and a strong, independent statement |
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asserting the right of Texans to shape their government to their |
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view is of paramount importance to their capacity to support it; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study a |
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nonsubstantive reorganization of the Texas Constitution; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings and recommendations, to the 85th Texas Legislature in |
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January 2017. |