State Sovereignty Resolution Update - 4/2

Rep. Jonathan Miller (R) introduced HCR 49 to the West Virginia Legislature Mar. 27. While generally modeled on Oklahoma's, it includes three unique paragraphs in the Whereases:

"Whereas, Federalism is the constitutional division of powers between the national and state governments and is widely regarded as one of America's most valuable contributions to political science; and

"Whereas, James Madison, 'The father of the Constitution,' said, 'The powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties and properties of the people'; and

Whereas, Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not 'subordinate' to the national government, but rather the two are 'coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government';"