With no end in sight to wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, we need to protect our children from being shipped overseas without an act of Congress.

The last war declared by Congress was World War II, yet we have sent troops to fight in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan without any formal declaration of war.

The Defend the Guard Bill prohibits National Guard Troops from our state from being sent into a war zone to fight unless war has been declared by Congress.

Politicians and their staffers spend our tax dollars on their business and travel expenses, but those expenses are not subject to reporting laws in Pennsylvania.

While travel by the governor on the Department of Transportation planes is required to be reported, Governor Shapiro has opted to fly on state police aircraft that is not subject to reporting laws. We the taxpayers have no idea how much we are spending on his flights for business or any other purpose.

Political staffers use treasury funds for reimbursement of travel and business expenses, but we the taxpayers are not permitted to know how much it costs us every year.

We need stricter reporting laws on spending by our elected officials. We have a right to know whether or not they are spending our money responsibly.

Washington DC has grown too corrupt to be expected to fix itself. Article V of the constitution allows for the states to call a convention to initiate amendments to the Constitution.

Convention of States is calling for 2 key amendments that must be enacted together to reduce corruption in Washington DC.

The first is an amendment enacting term limits. The second is an amendment requiring Congress to create a balanced budget.

Today Representatives get elected with millions of dollars in dark money from big donors and special interest groups. They reward their donors with government spending stuffed into continuing resolutions that raise the national debt ceiling. if Congress was forced to balance the budget, they would be forced to rein in the wasteful spending and kickbacks to donors. Term limits ensure that no politician sees politics as a lifetime career and reduces the infection from the Washington swamp that even good politicians seem catch after a few years in office.

It has been generations since states exercised their rights to make amendments to the Constitution. Most Americans are not familiar with the process. A convention of states is called when two-thirds of the state legislatures pass a bill calling for a convention. At the convention, state delegates will propose amendments and vote on whether to put them forward. In order to pass out of the convention more than half of the states must agree to it. To become an amendment to the Constitution, three-fourths of the states must approve the amendment.

Critics of a convention of states worry that a “runaway convention” will lead to dangerous amendments. The likelihood that delegates from 26 states would vote yes on a dangerous amendment is low. Even if a harmful amendment made it out of the convention, 37 states would have to vote to adopt it. The runaway convention is fearmongering to scare people out of exercising state’s rights.

We support SR 112 and HR 125, Senate and House resolutions calling for a convention of states to fix the problems of corruption in Washington. Term limits are desperately needed to prevent Representatives from making careers that are all about enriching themselves and their families instead of doing what is right for their constituents. A balanced budget amendment will force them to cut out wasteful spending on pork that enriches their donors.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees the right against illegal search and seizure. It requires the government to get a warrant before searching your property. The state of Pennsylvania has chosen to interpret property as your home and vehicles, but not your land. Fields are not considered property in our current laws and can and are searched by Pennsylvania government and law enforcement agents without the need for a warrant.

Game wardens are permitted to enter your private property and even ignore markers like no trespassing signs. The Commonwealth Court even ruled that a game warden was within government rights to place motion detecting cameras on private property all without a warrant!

We support HB1353 the “Open Fields Doctrine” that will close this loophole and force government agents to honor private property rights and obtain a warrant to search private property.