Convention Of States
Houston, We Have a Problem!
Good News, There is a Solution, If We Want It!
Our country and our freedoms are under attack. Our nation is more divided than ever before, our debt is almost $30T, our southern border is wide open with illegal aliens and opioids coming across in massive numbers and amounts, and government agencies are creating rules and regulations and exercising their full force against the states, businesses, and citizens. Congress is bringing forward bills on a regular basis that usurp our rights and freedoms, create more bureaucracy, and spend staggering amounts of money. Our Federal Legislators took oaths to bear full faith and allegiance to our Constitution, yet since the 1920’s they have expanded their powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution and used those ill-gotten powers to amass and centralize more power.
Having felt the heavy hand of a tyrannical government, the framers of our Constitution feared an oppressive government that would attempt to centralize power, one that would wield power over the people and take away their freedoms. They had the foresight to limit the power of the Federal Government and ensure that the preponderance of power was held by the States insuring strong representation of the people. Over the last century, exactly what they feared has come to fruition. Politicians and bureaucrats have steadily expanded their power and reach way beyond the original intent of our Founders. They have egregiously abused the General Welfare and Commerce clauses, and have both attempted and, at times, succeeded in infringing on our unalienable rights.
So how do we fix this mess? You can be sure Washington is not going to fix itself! The good news is that the framers of our Constitution anticipated our situation and made a provision for it.
During the final days of the 1787 Convention, George Mason objected to the fact that Congress was the only entity that had the power to propose amendments to the Constitution. Mason thought that if the Government became oppressive that there would be no remedy for the people. They knew that a Federal Government that expanded their powers beyond the original intent and infringed on the States rights, would never yield that power back to the States. Thankfully, our Founders had the foresight to add a second clause to Article V which gave the States the ability to override and limit the power of the Federal Government.
Article V of the Constitution provides a way for the States to call a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution. This can be done without any involvement or permission from Governors or any branch of the Federal Government. The process requires that 34 states pass resolutions to call a convention. At the convention, delegates from each state would work together to draft amendments. The proposed amendments would then be sent back to the states for ratification. The amendment(s) must be ratified by 38 states in order to become law.
As you can see from this brief explanation, it’s going to take a massive, coordinated effort to turn an Article V convention of states into a reality. There are several groups actively working to call for a convention. One group is working on calling a convention to address term limits for Congress. Another group is working in calling a convention for a balanced budget amendment. These are noble groups but I don’t believe that these individual amendments will really address our challenges.
The Convention of States (COS) Project is a non-partisan non-profit organization of grassroots volunteers with the expressed purpose of urging and empowering state legislators to call a convention of states. Our resolution, HJR 233, passed in the NC House on May 5, 2021 and calls for amendments in three areas: term limits for all federal officials, imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government and limiting their scope and responsibilities as was intended by our Founders.
The Convention of States Project has hundreds of grassroots volunteers in every state working to get a resolution passed. At this writing 16 states have passed the resolution, and there is active legislation in 26 states. You can find out more about Article V and the Convention of States Project at www.conventionofstates.com.
I believe a Convention of States is our last chance to halt the runaway power of the federal government and restore the Founder’s vision. This will be the most important project of this generation. Please visit the web site, sign the petition, and consider getting involved!
If not now, when?
Judy Carter
Dare County Republicans