Blog - A Beginning to an End to Gubernatorial Appointments

Sen. Russell Feingold’s [D, WI] constitutional amendment to require that Senate vacancies are filled by public election will receive its first major action by Congress tomorrow. The House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties and the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution will hold a joint hearing at 10 am EST on S.J. Res. 7 – A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the election of Senators.

The main portion of the bill reads:

No person shall be a Senator from a State unless such person has been elected by the people thereof. When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

The recent botched senatorial appointments in Illinois and New York have put some serious drive behind this proposal. The United States Constitution has not been amended since 1992.