The Madison Coalition is a right-of-center advocacy organization that is pushing new amendments to the U.S. Constitution to limit the size and scope of the federal government. The organization proposes and promotes the Keep Nine Amendment, which would constitutionally mandate that there always be nine seats on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Regulation Freedom Amendment that is designed to curb the power of federal regulators in executive branch agencies. ¹

The organization does the bulk of its work on the state level, where it is an advocate of using the U.S. Constitution’s Article V process in order to call a constitutional convention in order to enact its proposed amendments. ²

Overview

The Madison Coalition is a right-of-center advocacy organization that is calling for new amendments to the U.S. Constitution in order to limit the size and scope of the government. It is an advocate of using the procedures outlined in the constitution’s Article V, which permits the states to call a convention in order to propose constitutional amendments. ³

The organization conducts most of its advocacy work on the state level. In 2013, the organization, along with other members of the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, supported legislation in Indiana that would criminalize any “faithless delegate” that used an Article V convention to support any changes to the U.S. Constitution that were not explicitly supported by the Indiana legislature. The legislation was signed into law by then-Governor Mike Pence (R). ⁴

In 2014, a similar resolution was introduced in Wyoming. The legislation was based on model legislation proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council, which worked with the organization on it. ⁵

In 2017, the organization pushed the Kansas House of Representatives to pass a resolution calling for the passage of the Regulation Freedom Amendment. A similar resolution passed that body on a114-10 vote in 2016. The amendment had the support of numerous Kansas business groups, and the organization’s director testified in committee in support. ⁶

Proposed Amendments

The organization has two potential amendments that it promotes. Those amendments are the Keep Nine Amendment and the Regulation Freedom Amendment. ⁷

The Keep Nine Amendment would mandate that the U.S. Supreme Court would consist of nine justices.  It would prohibit the practice of “court-packing,” or expanding the Supreme Court in order to alter its ideological makeup. ⁸

The Regulation Freedom Amendment would restrain the power of unelected federal regulators in the executive branch. It would propose that if one-quarter of the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate transmit to the president their written opposition to a federal regulation, it would require a majority vote of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to implement that regulation. The Republican National Committee has already passed a resolution in support of the amendment. ⁹

Leadership

Roman Buhler is the national director of the coalition. Previously, he worked for the U.S. House in two stints between 1989 to 2003 and another one in 2007, working on election issues for House Republicans. He is also affiliated with the Heartland Institute. ¹⁰

1.  “The Madison Coalition”.  The Madison Coalition. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://madisoncoalitionupdate.org/.
2.       “Who We Are – Roman Buhler”.  Heartland Institute. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/roman-buhler.
3. “Who We Are – Roman Buhler”.  Heartland Institute. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/roman-buhler.
4. “Indiana Act Ensures Faithful U.S. Amendment Convention Delegates, Says Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force”.  PR Newswire. May 13, 2013 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/indiana-act-ensures-faithful-us-amendment-convention-delegates-says-balanced-budget-amendment-task-force-207294321.html.
5. Nickerson, Gregory. “House Speaker Lubnau Introduces Measure Similar To ALEC Model Bill”. Wyofile. Feb. 13, 2014 https://wyofile.com/house-speaker-lubnau-introduces-measure-from-alec-model-bill-group/.
6. Clarkin, Mary.”Kansas House Resolution Calls For U.S. Constitutional Amendment For ‘Regulation Freedom'”. The Hutchinson News. Jan. 24, 2017 https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2017/01/24/kansas-house-resolution-calls-for/21020856007/.
7. “The Madison Coalition”.  The Madison Coalition. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://madisoncoalitionupdate.org/.
8. “Keep Nine Amendment”.  The Madison Coalition. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://madisoncoalitionupdate.org/keep-nine-amendment/.
9. “Regulation Freedom Amendment”.  The Madison Coalition. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://madisoncoalitionupdate.org/regulation-freedom-amendment/.
10. “Who We Are – Roman Buhler”.  Heartland Institute. Accessed September 5, 2022. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/roman-buhler.