Last Wednesday marked the beginning of the Second Session of the 102nd Missouri Legislature. Opening Day is mostly ceremonial and has a more laid-back atmosphere than the rest of the session. Twenty five Convention of States volunteers attended, and for most, this was their first visit to the Missouri Capitol.
We met in the Cafeteria and broke into different groups to canvass the building. Our first mission was to have everyone in attendance meet with their Representative and Senator and their administrative staffs. Most people have no idea how much this means to an elected official. Having constituents take time out of their day to travel to the Capitol, meet with them and learn about the legislative process is very impactful. When you look at the low voter turnout numbers in elections, the importance of personally meeting with your legislators should be clear.
Part of being a self-governing citizen is to be involved in the political process. Understanding the issues, knowing the positions candidates hold, and voting – all are important. Yet, self-governance goes several steps beyond this. When you show up at the Capitol, elected officials are reminded that they are being watched and held accountable. Not being actively involved in government oversight is the root cause of today’s many problems.
This isn’t due to apathy or laziness. Activism is not the natural inclination of those of us who believe in limited government and personal responsibility. So, we must change our mindset. Liberty must be defended. And if it is not, government power will continue to expand and individual liberties will contract.
This should not be a surprise. The Framers understood this. That’s why they crafted a Constitution and government structure they deemed to be least likely to infringe on individual liberty. If we don't do our part to ensure the Framers’ system is adhered to then the Constitution and structure amount to nothing more than mere words on paper.
Another reason for our visit was to acquaint everyone with the State Capitol. This is our House but it can be intimidating. This is a foreign environment to most people, and I think we were successful in breaking down barriers so that everyone gained a level of comfort in the surroundings. It was quite exciting to see fellow Missourians demonstrating citizen interest and involvement. In fact, we have a new group of activists who are confident speaking with their legislators about issues in their district and advocating for the Convention of States Project.
At the end of the day, everyone returned home with a new sense of empowerment and a list of accomplishments:
- We saw that we CAN make a difference.
- We learned that our team needs a presence at the Capitol throughout the session.
- We had COS volunteers recognized by their Senator in the Senate chambers.
- We filed our Commissioner Selection Bill (HB2169) in the House. (HB2169 should be referred to a committee soon and a hearing will be scheduled. We’ll keep you posted on progress.)
Please consider taking your citizenship to the next level by being part of this work. You can sign up here and let us know when you can come to the Capitol. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to come. I plan to be there each Wednesday. If you’re able to attend on a Tuesday, we’ll make sure you have leaders to support you. As always, go to www.conventionofstates.com for additional volunteer opportunities.
In liberty,
Brett
The Missouri Information Page has the tools to help you get to work restoring our freedoms and our Constitution. Article V is the solution as big as the problem.
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