Idaho lawmakers spike call to amend US Constitution

An Idaho House panel has spiked a proposal calling for a constitutional amendment to limit federal government power.

The House State Affairs Committee killed the legislation Friday after listening to nearly six hours of public testimony over the past week.

The bill would have called for a convention of states to create checks, such as a balanced budget rule and term limits, on federal power.

A similar proposal also failed last year in the Idaho Legislature.

Critics have argued there’s no way to control a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Either 34 states or two-thirds of both houses of Congress can call for a constitutional amendment. Thirty-eight states have to approve amendments.