Herb Titus was invited to address the Republican Caucus of the Virginia House of Delegates on HJR 9 — a call for a national constitutional convention for proposing amendments to the United States Constitution.
Herb explained that while the concept of using Article VI to address erroneous judicial decisions might seem tempting, it was fraught with risk. Unlike the process by which Congress may submit to the State legislatures specific written amendments, the convention process for proposing amendments is open-ended with no control of the number, scope, or subject matters of the amendments and no rules governing the number or selection of the delegates.
On January 31, 2014, the House Committee on Rules recommended that HJR 9 be adopted by the full House, by a vote of 9 yes – 6 no.
On February 6, 2014, two days after Herb’s presentation, the House defeated the resolution by a vote of 29 yes – 67 no.
A story discussing the important role played by Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) in explaining to the Delegates the problems associated with the problems appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch.