Oklahoma was the 7th state to adopt the Convention of States Resolution back in 2016, but supporters and legislators from Dr. Tom Coburn's home state knew that their work was not done.
The original resolution included a sunset provision that nullified the call for a Convention after a certain number of years. With the "United States Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn Resolution of 2021," the Oklahoma state government has rectified that situation.
On April 20, the Coburn Resolution passed the House on a 62-26 vote. Since it had already passed the Senate 37-10, it has now been officially adopted by the Oklahoma legislature!
The Coburn Resolution (which you can read here) calls for an Article V Convention of States to limit federal power, impose fiscal restraints on Congress, and mandate term limits for federal officials. This call will continue in perpetuity, so the legislature will not have to re-pass the Convention of States Resolution before we hold the first-ever Article V Convention of States.
The federal government has "created crushing national debt," "invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates," and has "ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States," the Coburn Resolution explains.
The Founders empowered the state legislatures to be the guardians of liberty against the encroachments of the federal government, and the Oklahoma legislature has recommitted to fulfilling that sacred duty.
In this, they are modeling themselves after the late Senator Tom Coburn, who committed his entire life to defending liberty in this country. He was a staunch defender of freedom during his years in the U.S. House and Senate, and he worked tirelessly in the final years of his life to calling an Article V Convention of States.
“So the question for me is for the rest of my life will I work to secure the future for the next generation? And do that by promoting a Convention of States to restore the fundamental freedoms that secure our liberty, that secure our future, and secure the next generation," he said.
"I believe this country can cheat history. This republic doesn’t have to die. This republic can survive. This republic can achieve more than we have ever achieved before. So let’s go do it.
"I'm in this til the end...whenever that is.”
With this resolution, the Oklahoma state legislature is honoring that legacy, and we've been honored to be a part of Dr. Coburn's life and work.
