The 21st Century Constitution: Seven Bold Reforms for a More Perfect Union

Prepared by: Rodney LaBruce, Candidate for U.S. Congress (TX-30) Unified Advocacy and Leadership Coalition (UALC)

Why This Matters to District 30

I’m running to end poverty and turn our district into a national model for success. But poverty isn't just a "program" problem—it’s a power problem.

When big money buys influence, when voting is made difficult, and when courts operate without accountability, the people at the bottom pay the price first. These seven reforms are about making sure our government finally listens to everyday people again.

1. Get Big Money Out of Politics

The Goal: Overturn Citizens United and end the era of "dark money."

• The Problem: Right now, elections go to the person with the biggest checkbook, not the best ideas. When politicians rely on billionaire donors, anti-poverty policies get watered down or killed.
• The Solution: A Constitutional Amendment stating that money is not "speech" and corporations are not "people." We need strict limits on spending and total transparency so we know exactly who is trying to buy an election.

2. Term Limits for Congress

The Goal: Bring in new ideas and stop career politicians from becoming entrenched.

• The Problem: Voters are tired of a system that feels closed off. However, we have to be careful—if we just rotate members out without fixing the lobbying system, the lobbyists end up with all the power.
• The Solution: Cap House and Senate service at 12 years each. We must pair this with a "revolving door" ban that stops former members from immediately becoming high-paid lobbyists.

3. A Constitutional Right to Vote

The Goal: Make voting a guaranteed right, not a privilege that can be taken away.

• The Problem: The Constitution protects voting in bits and pieces, which allows for voter suppression, roll purges, and gerrymandering.
• The Solution: An amendment that explicitly guarantees the right to vote for every eligible American. This includes automatic registration and federal protection against states that try to make it harder to cast a ballot.

4. Pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

The Goal: Guarantee gender equality once and for all.

• The Problem: Right now, women’s rights are a patchwork of different state laws and court rulings.
• The Solution: Formally ratify the ERA so that equality under the law cannot be ignored based on sex. This is about fairness, equal pay, and economic security for every family.

5. Ethics Rules for the Supreme Court

The Goal: Hold the highest court to the highest standards.

• The Problem: Currently, Supreme Court justices basically "police themselves." Public trust is collapsing because of undisclosed gifts and relationships that look like conflicts of interest.
• The Solution: A binding, enforceable code of ethics. If a justice has a conflict of interest, an independent body should review it—they shouldn't just get to decide for themselves.

6. One Person, One Vote (Ending the Electoral College)

The Goal: The person who gets the most votes should win the Presidency.

• The Problem: The Electoral College is an outdated system that forces candidates to ignore most of the country and focus on just a few "swing states." It also has roots in slavery-era compromises that gave more power to slave-holding states.
• The Solution: Move to a National Popular Vote. Whether you live in Texas, California, or Wyoming, your vote for President should count exactly the same.

7. Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices

The Goal: 18-year terms to keep the court fresh and less political.

• The Problem: Life tenure made sense in the 1700s, but today it turns every court vacancy into a "political war" that lasts for generations.
• The Solution: Limit justices to 18-year terms with staggered appointments. This ensures every President gets to appoint justices regularly, making the process predictable and less about "seizing power" for forty years at a time.

Conclusion: Taking the System Back

These reforms aren't just "tweaks"—they are about breaking the cycle that keeps our community powerless. If we want a country where hard work leads to stability and every voice is heard, we have to fix the machinery of our democracy.

This is the work of a generation. It starts with leadership that is willing to say: the system is broken, and we are going to fix it.