“The Convention is coming!”
This is a phrase that’s been making the rounds in COS culture for some time now, and it’s not a phrase that’s used lightly. The amount of momentum, support, citizen activism, and determination from both sides of the aisle for our Article V resolution all come together to make one, definitive declaration: the Convention of States is going to happen.
There are 224 Article V convention of states applications open in 40 states covering 57 different subject matters. Ours is the only one that has passed verbatim in 19 states.
It’s not a question of, “if”, but “when,” and several states that have already passed the COS resolution are well-aware of this. That’s why, in several key legislatures, important legislation has already been introduced to ensure the Article V process goes smoothly.
Opponents of the convention, who still haven’t caught on to the fact that it’s inevitable, continue to stir up fear and alarm by saying that the process would be uncontrolled, unknown, and dangerous. Such arguments demonstrate a lack of knowledge as to how the convention would function. Their arguments also completely ignore the fact that several states have already passed binding delegate legislation, codifying the rules and processes to ensure that when (not if) the delegates are sent to the convention, they will only be able to propose amendments that fall under their jurisdiction i.e., term limits, fiscal restraints, and limitations on federal overreach.
Should delegates attempt to step outside of their purview, this binding delegate legislation will allow the state legislatures to immediately recall them, and replace them with delegates who will abide by their duty, just like the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
There’s simply no reason why every state in America should not have this type of binding delegate legislation, whether they’ve passed the resolution or not. That is precisely why the Maryland COS team is proposing the Model Commissioner Legislation, urging the General Assembly to set standards for the delegates and hold them accountable. This will ensure that Maryland is prepared for the inevitable convention, while building trust in the process and pave the way for the Old-Line state to join the other 19 and counting that have passed the COS Article V resolution.
The fearful will never be free. It is for the bold, the faithful, and those who face the threat of enslavement with wisdom and fortitude that liberty is reserved. To ignore the crisis is to become the crisis, and the plague at the heart of America’s crisis is leaders who forge their own, self-serving path and aren’t held accountable.
Enter the Model Commissioner Legislation. The Article V process has well-established precedent throughout American history, but we want it set in stone! COS Action Maryland's Legislative Strategy Team is laser focused on introducing this Legislation in the 2024 Legislative Session.
Delegates will be sent to the convention for one purpose only: to propose and pass amendments that fall under the purview of the convention. If they step out of line, the Model Commissioner Legislation outlines exactly how they will be removed from their position. It is the firm hand of the people on the shoulder of the politician.
This Model Commissioner Legislation also flies in the face of the COS critics who claim we’re trying to rewrite the Constitution by opening a Pandora’s box. On the contrary, we want the process to be as controlled, stable, and methodical as possible, with serious consequences for any attempts to rewrite our rights, and setting standards for delegates puts rebar into an already concrete process.
Article V is the last, best hope for America, but it won’t work without bold, informed, and determined Americans to see it through. Every tool in the Constitution that was designed to preserve freedom – from free speech to the election process to the right to bear arms to a convention of states – cannot be effectively wielded by the timid and faint-of-heart.
The preservation of liberty for everyone who wants to be free depends on the pursuit of that liberty; a desperate, uphill struggle through the brambles and briars of persecution, discouragement, and the constant temptation to despair. Only those with a relentless and unshakeable will to be free, who would rather perish in the attempt than slide back down into the pit of tyranny, will ascend to the heights of independence.
The Maryland Legislative Session opens on January 8. We will embark on our mission to spread the word of the Model Commissioner Legislation among all 188 representatives in the Maryland General Assembly.
