Whatever happened to attempts by states to start impeachment?

[Sanity Claws]

Remember a couple of states had Bush impeachment resolutions and they were going to forward them to the House which, under an old statute, was required to act on it? What happened?

[stepnw1f]

1. still going on

nothing will happen until enough states do it. And you should be pushing for it in your own state.

[bullimiami]

2. yeah, florida....

:rofl:

[FtWayneBlue]

3. Has been introduced into state Congress proceedings in 3 states,

now being debated - as of 4/26/06 - according to following article:

"On Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Dave Zuckerman (Prog.-VT) dropped the third of three nearly unreported bombshells on the Bush administration. Zuckerman, along with 12 fellow lawmakers, introduced a formal resolution for the Vermont state legislature to call on the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach President George W. Bush.

With this resolution, Vermont joined the California and Illinois state legislatures, already embroiled in impeachment debates of their own."



http://www.alternet.org/story/35467



As near as I can tell, these proceedings are currently on hold, stuck in committee.

[DocSavage]

4. States

have no ability to initiate articles of impeachment. The power lies in Congress and the Senate.

[mcscajun]

7. If a resolution actually passes in both houses of one State,

then it would go to the House of Representatives. A charge from a State or territorial legislature or grand jury submitted to the House is sufficient to begin an impeachment effort; doesn't mean it'll go anywhere, though. I don't see it getting out of one of the States any time soon, and even if it did, unless we have a majority when that happens, it will DOA at the House.

[happyslug]

8. Under the Rules of the House, yes they do.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_house_practice&docid=hp-27

The actual "Manual" (Which by definition INCLUDES "Jefferson's Manual" which covers who may file an Impeachment resolution":
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/hrm/browse_109.html

This is confirmed by House of Representative Rule XXVIII

general provisions

1. <<NOTE: Sec. 1105. Relations of Jefferson's Manual and Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1946 to the Rules of the House.>> The provisions
of law that constituted the Rules of the House at the end of the
previous Congress shall govern the House in all cases to which they are
applicable, and the rules of parliamentary practice comprised by
Jefferson's Manual shall govern the House in all cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Rules and
orders of the House.


Thus the Rule on who can bring impeachment is as follows:

In the <<NOTE: Sec. 603. Inception of impeachment proceedings in the
House.>> House there are various methods of setting an impeachment in
motion: by charges made on the floor on the responsibility of a Member
or Delegate (II, 1303; III, 2342, 2400, 2469; VI, 525, 526, 528, 535,
536); by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a
committee for examination (III, 2364, 2491, 2494, 2496, 2499, 2515; VI,
543); by a resolution dropped in the hopper by a Member and referred to
a committee (Apr. 15, 1970, p. 11941; Oct. 23, 1973, p. 34873); by a
message from the President (III, 2294, 2319; VI, 498); by charges
transmitted from the legislature of a State (III, 2469) or territory
(III, 2487) or from a grand jury (III, 2488); or from facts developed
and reported

[OzarkDem]

5. Dem leaders in Congress squelched it

They didn't want to be known as the party who only wants to impeach Bush.

I guess they don't want to be known as the party that defends the Constitution, either.

They're keeping their powder dry and are going to try to get their message out 30 days before the next election. Its a totally useless strategy, its failed every time they've tried it since it only lets the GOP define them.

They're weak, they're unimaginative, they're not passionate. They're chickenshit.

[mcscajun]

6. It's actually got to pass in both houses in one state in order to make

it anywhere. Once it does, then it can go to the US House of Representatives.

Hasn't happened yet. Lots of introductions, nothing passed.