Does America need a "council of elders"?

Without first reading the article I immediately thought of "the New Founding Fathers of America". The regime portrayed in the futuristic film The Purge. Could a council of elders result in such an odd concept of allowing a day to engage in any type of crime?

Yes I realize that was somewhat of an extreme though, but what use is such a council that our other branches and levels of government aren't able to do?

In actuality this article is about the Syrian refugee crisis where many state Governors have declared in light of the Paris terrorist attacks they're unwilling to allow them in their states. They want better vetting of these refugees fleeing the war and unrest in their home nation.

Hat-tip Instapundit.