Putting the “right people” in DC can’t fix the federal government or guarantee more freedom for the American people. Take for instance Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to loosen restrictions on the constitutionally dubious practice of “civil asset forfeiture.”
Civil asset forfeiture allows local law enforcement agencies to seize private property from citizens without a criminal conviction. Thirteen states have outlawed the practice, but Sessions wants to reinstate a program by which the federal government accepts seized assets and “shares” them with state agencies. This, in essence, allows law enforcement to work with the federal government to do an end-run around state laws.
So not only does Sessions support seizing assets from private citizens -- he’s also making it easier for the feds to ignore state laws and act as they see fit. As the Editors over at the National Review point out, “conservatives should object to this on due-process grounds and on Tenth Amendment grounds — if the states wish to restrict the use of asset forfeiture, then Washington has no business interfering.”
A Convention of States can propose constitutional amendments that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. Such amendments can give the states and the people more power to hold DC accountable. Whether it be asset forfeiture, health care overreach, or fiscal irresponsibility, We the People need a recourse when the feds overstep their constitutional bounds.
