(This action is part of the Catalog of Legislative Actions.)
Affirms that the federal executive's uncontrolled abandonment of constitutional governance obligates [State/Local Jurisdiction] to protect its residents and work to reinstate the constitutional order. Commits to taking all necessary and appropriate steps to fulfill that duty, including actions that are only justified because the federal government has abandoned the Constitution. Establishes a foundation for coordinated efforts to resist federal lawlessness and restore democratic governance.
RESOLUTION COMMITTING TO USE ALL AVAILABLE TOOLS TO RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF [STATE/LOCAL JURISDICTION] FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF FEDERAL LAWLESSNESS
WHEREAS, state and local elected officials are bound by an oath to support the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, it is the core duty of the government of [State/Local Jurisdiction] to ensure the safety and well-being of its people; and
WHEREAS, the federal executive has ceased operating in adherence to the Constitution by repeatedly and continually refusing to execute the laws of Congress and by violating fundamental constitutional protections, including due process, equal protection, and freedom of speech and the press; and
WHEREAS, Congress and the federal courts have demonstrated that they are unable or unwilling to provide the necessary check on executive lawbreaking; and
WHEREAS, through its illegal acts, the federal government is failing to fulfill its basic responsibilities and is endangering the lives and welfare of the people of [State/Local Jurisdiction], including by
- unlawfully misallocating taxpayer funds in violation of congressional authority; and
- dismantling or degrading essential federal agencies responsible for public welfare, economic stability, and emergency response; and thereby
- leaving the people of [State/Local Jurisdiction] without vital services and protections; and
WHEREAS, the president is engaging in tactics that are well-documented methods of authoritarian consolidation, including
- politicizing federal agencies to target political adversaries and shield loyalists;
- purging independent oversight officials to eliminate accountability mechanisms;
- suppressing dissent and coercing the media to manipulate public information;
- corrupting the U.S. military by replacing neutral leaders with loyalists;
- undermining electoral integrity to secure illegitimate power; and
- aligning the United States with authoritarian regimes while undermining democratic alliances,
demonstrating a deliberate strategy to entrench autocratic rule, making an urgent response imperative; and
WHEREAS, the people of [State/Local Jurisdiction] require the support of their governing institutions to effectively resist federal lawlessness, as only collective action through state and local governments can marshal the necessary authority and resources to uphold constitutional governance; and
WHEREAS, meaningful resistance to authoritarianism requires cooperation among jurisdictions as well as with engaged individuals and organizations across the United States who are committed to restoring democratic governance; and
WHEREAS, illegal actions by a federal government that has abandoned constitutional governance are not binding on [State/Local Jurisdiction] under the Supremacy Clause;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. [State/Local Jurisdiction] commits to using all available tools to restore constitutional governance and protect the people of [State/Local Jurisdiction] from the consequences of federal lawlessness, including measures that would not be permissible if the federal government had not thoroughly abandoned its core constitutional obligations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:
2. Specific actions to fulfill this commitment will be determined as necessary in response to developments at the federal level, their impact on [State/Local Jurisdiction] and its people, and, wherever possible and appropriate, in cooperation with other jurisdictions, as well as with the people of [State/Local Jurisdiction] and others across the United States who are committed to restoring democratic governance.
This resolution may be cited as the “Resolution to Restore the Constitution.”