Texas Governor Rick Perry stands in solidarity with the state's legislature in reaffirming the state's sovereignty.

The Texas state legislature with the backing of Governor Rick Perry will take up the issue of government intrusion and its overriding of states’ rights by passing a resolution reaffirming the Lone Star State’s sovereignty under the United States Constitution.  The measure will challenge the federal government and perhaps serve as a wake-up call to those in Washington DC hoping to continue the erosion of the 10th Amendment.

In a press conference at the state capitol, Governor Perry said, “I happen to believe that the Constitution does not empower the federal government to overrule state’s laws without restraint.”  See below for complete video. 

For those not familiar with the text of the 10th Amendment, it is one of the shortest and simplest to understand.  It reads:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. 

The meaning is self explanatory – unless the Constitution specifically grants a power to the federal government, the states have the rights to those powers, the federal government does not.  Over the last 218 years since the amendment was ratified, Washington DC and the courts have willfully and purposely eroded the will of the Founding Fathers a little at a time to where now we are forced to take action.

I agree with Texas’ seventh governor and I think its greatest governor, Sam Houston, who once said ‘Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.’  We didn’t like oppression then, we don’t like oppression now.  I believe the federal government has become oppressive.  I believe it has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion in the lives of its citizens and its interference with the affairs of our state.   
~ Texas Governor Rick Perry

The efforts of Texas reflect a growing discontent with the federal government and its unwanted – and unconstitutional – intrusion into our lives.  In town halls, communities, cities and states across the nation the American people are quickly getting fed up.  The 10th Amendment is plain in its language and plain in its meaning.  To accept the continued erosion of our founding documents is not only wrong, it is illegal. 

As the Texas resolution says in part:

     RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby claim sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States; and, be it further 
     RESOLVED, That this serve as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers; and, be it further
     RESOLVED, That all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed;

I wish that Coloradoans, the Colorado legislature and Colorado’s governor had spines to match those of their counterparts in Texas. 

• Press release – Governor Rick Perry’s office
• Texas House Concurrent Resolution 50

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