Georgia Reps: Time to Revoke 17th Amendment

GOP state representatives in Georgia say it's time to end direct elections of national senators, the Douglas County Sentinel reports. Instead, state assemblies should pick senators, as it was before the 17th amendment, says Kevin Cooke, a sponsor of a bill calling on Congress to take action. "This isn’t an idea of mine. This was what James Madison was writing. This would be a restoration of the Constitution," he notes.

But passage is unlikely, says an expert. "It’s just an antiquated way to hold on to power." Even if it's a "long shot" that it would pass, the issue should be raised, says another sponsor, citing the "super-giant expansion of the federal government." The representatives aren't the first to raise the issue in recent years, the Huffington Post notes: Last year, GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said the amendment should be repealed, and New Hampshire and Tennessee have seen related bills. (More Georgia stories.)