LEESBURG, Va., Feb. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Oklahoma Legislature will be voting shortly on two pieces of legislation that, if approved, could lead to an American-Dream-Preserving U.S. Balanced Budget Amendment without risking a "Runaway Convention."  Representative Banz will be asking OK state legislators to approve HJR 1060, a Balanced Budget Amendment Convention Application and HB 1530, the Delegate Limitation Act (a.k.a. "No Runaway Convention Act").

Representative Banz stated, "Our nation's $16.5 trillion debt in dollar bills is a quarter mile wide, stretches to the moon and is growing 60 miles per day. I believe Oklahomans will strongly support a balanced budget amendment for the federal government for the following reason: no generation should bury the American Dream under a mountain of debt for its children and grandchildren."

Representative Banz added, "The states are authorized but have never proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution out of fear that an Article V 'Convention to propose amendments' could 'runaway' and make unwanted Constitutional changes. My bill, HB 1530, ends that 'fear' by recalling, replacing, nullifying the vote of and providing criminal charges for any delegate who violates their oath and tries to instigate a 'runaway' Convention."

David Biddulph, Co-founder of the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force added, "Oklahoma could safely lead the country away from being a Greek tragedy to restoring the American Dream by being the first state in the nation to pass the 'No Runaway Convention Act' and 'Balanced Budget Amendment Application'."

Article V of the U.S. Constitution includes a never used provision for two-thirds (34) of the states to apply to Congress for a "Convention for proposing amendments." In the 1980-1990's 32 states of the required 34 had applied for a balanced budget amendment convention.  Since then, over 15 state legislatures, including Oklahoma, have rescinded their balanced budget amendment applications out of "fear" that the convention could not be limited to one subject.

Congress has repeatedly voted against sending a balanced budget amendment to the states or the people for ratification. Instead they have increased the nation's debt every year since the 1950s. The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that in ten years, under current law, the United States would be $26 trillion in debt versus $16 trillion today and the interest on the debt alone would be $857 billion or about $10,000 per income tax paying household.

The Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, a non-profit, grassroots coalition, is campaigning nationally to secure balanced budget amendment applications and "No Runaway Convention Acts" in the 34 states needed to safely and constitutionally mandate that the federal government live within its means.

SOURCE: Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force:  www.BBA4USA.org

SOURCE Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force