Check out this amazing op-ed written by Ohio Convention of States volunteer Tom Quarrie and originally published in the Toledo Blade.
It is time for Ohio lawmakers in Columbus to come together on a resolution to apply for a convention of the states. This gathering would be an amending convention that is provided for in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. With 15 states and 4 million Americans already supporting this solution, the 133rd Ohio General Assembly needs to get on board.
The Convention of States Project advocates for a national dialogue to restore stability and sanity in Washington. America is not crying out for gun confiscation, open borders, a guaranteed income, free health care, free college, or any other socialist scheme — and please stop with the trillion-dollar deficits.
Even more to the point, we don’t want a monster centralized government sticking its nose under our tent.
So just how should we go about returning the reins of government to the voters? The Convention of States Project believes we can continue to succeed as the greatest nation ever by returning to our founding principles of self-government.
Some common-sense changes to the structure of our government are needed to reverse Washington’s reckless spending and centralization of power. It has become necessary to better define the meaning and intent of our governing document.
The Framers knew that a process for amendments was needed to keep the Constitution relevant over time. They gave us Article V for that very purpose.
An Article V convention as proposed by the Convention of States Project will develop suggested amendments to: curb wasteful spending; limit the power and jurisdiction of our national government, aka federalism; and impose term limits on Congress, federal judges including Supreme Court justices, and for managers of the more than 4,000 federal agencies. All three of these topics are contained in the Convention of States model resolution the states are using to apply for a convention.
The language of Article V is plain. The states have the power to amend. Yes, we can put a stop to trillion-dollar deficits. Proposed amendments, when ratified by the states, can kiss the swamp good-bye and put We The People back in charge.
Best of all, we don’t need permission from a single member of Congress to pull this off. When two-thirds of the states, 34 of the 50, pass resolutions calling for an amendments convention, it becomes mandatory for Congress to announce a time and place for the convention.
All 50 states would be invited and select delegates, called commissioners, to represent them. The state legislatures may use a “Faithful Commissioner Resolution” to govern the selection process and to control their commissioners. This resolution would include commissioner selection criteria, the number of commissioners and alternates, performance standards, violations, removal criteria, and penalties.
At the convention, only the three topics put forth in the application resolution could be discussed. Members would elect a president. The rules of the convention would likely be a combination of Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedures. Consistent with history, each sovereign state would have one vote. Members would be assigned to committees. Each committee would have a Sergeant at Arms to maintain order. The committee chairman would be charged with keeping the discussion on topic. Proposed amendments that pass the committee would then be presented to all convention members for a vote.
At the close of the convention, proposed amendments would be presented to Congress for delivery to the states for ratification. Only proposed amendments that receive approval from at least three-quarters or 38 of the 50 states would become part of the supreme law of the land.
Over history Congress has proposed 33 amendments with 27 approved by the states. Now it is time for us to let Washington know we are still in the game. Fifteen states have passed application resolutions. With your help, Ohio could be No. 16.
To join with more than 64,000 Ohioans in signing the COSP petition and to find out how you can help, visit conventionofstates.com.
