I carried SCR 1615 on the House floor today. This is a resolution calling on the Federal government to respect our State sovereignty and personal rights referenced in the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

It was approved with final action next week. Here is a copy of my remarks on the floor:

They claim this resolution is merely symbolic. Is this symbolic? Yes. But not without meaning. This flag is  symbolic, but not without meaning.

Each morning in this great chamber we recite the pledge of allegiance and though symbolic, it is meaningful. It reminds us that this is the Peoples House and that is why this is a great chamber. The pledge of allegiance is not just a pledge, but a commitment and a call that America must protect liberty and justice for all. It calls back to first principles. It is the same with this resolution; it calls us back to constitutional government.

I am a witness that each one of you swore an oath to uphold the constitution, and not one of you, in the middle of the ceremony, said "Stop...wait, just minute. Can you just detail out for me the specific statutes that may be in question with this oath." Rather we individually and jointly declared that we and that this government should follow the constitution. It is the same with this resolution.

If I remember correctly from my early civics lessons it was Thomas Jefferson that was concerned about the bill of rights, for fear that if we listed some rights we would forget the rest. So the Tenth amendment was added, and referenced an array of rights that were found in the common law. Everyone at that time knew their rights; in essence the Declaration of Independence was a bill of indictment against an oppressive government that violated some 59 different rights held by each of us. It was a document that like this one largely symbolic but full of meaning that launched this great people in the grand experiment in democracy and representative government.

You see there are two approaches to government.

One is top down, European style, --- for those that are bent on changing or eliminating our basic traditions and values they need the force that comes from big government.

But America is exceptional, and we have a different approach, from the grass roots bottom up, believing in and protecting Freedom, and the free market which produces prosperity when rooted in solid character.

It's for good reason they called us "Bleeding Kansas"...our forebears, whose names are placed high on the wall of this chamber because we look up to them, their names placed here because they stood up and fought for their freedom and insisted upon it. Every generation must do the same.

This resolution means that we are Americans and Kansans...it's time we start acting like it. That is why Mr. Chair I'm proud to Move that when the committee rises and reports, that it reports SCR 1615 favorable for passage, as amended.