Legend has it that a lady approached Benjamin Franklin after he exited Independence Hall at the conclusion of the 1787 Convention. She asked Franklin, “Dr. Franklin, what type of government have you given us – a republic or a monarchy?” The story is that Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
What did Franklin mean by that?
The word republic comes from the Latin phrase “res publica.” This is a system of government in which the governing authority rests with the public and their elected representatives. This requires the public to be educated, informed on the issues and involved in the political process. Without the involvement of an informed electorate to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, they will make decisions to benefit the system instead of their constituents. This does not mean they are necessarily bad people. This is simply human nature. The Framers understood this and drafted the Constitution to provide as many protections for the people as possible.
There’s another human trait that tends to work in the opposite direction. It’s a tendency to rely on others and trust institutions to work in the individual’s best interests. This complacency does not lend itself a self-governing mindset. It takes a continuous, deliberate effort to be a self-governing citizen. The spirit of “live and let live” works when other political factions share that mindset. That is clearly not the case. Therefore, we cannot be complacent.
It is always challenging in a Passed State to keep the grassroots energized. Every state that has passed our Convention of States resolution has had the same experience. It takes so much effort to educate the public, build the grassroots, lobby legislators and endure disappointment until we achieve final passage. It is important to celebrate each victory and it’s natural to relax somewhat afterward.
In Missouri, we’ve gone through this process twice. In 2017, our resolution passed with an attached 5-year sunset clause, which was not our choice. It was a decision made by a couple key legislators to include a sunset clause to secure passage of our resolution. Then, with the specter of our resolution expiring May 12, 2022, we went back to work to pass our resolution again without a sunset clause. In 2021 we succeeded and passed our resolution through a completely new legislature. And then, a second period of relaxation ensued.
Has our opposition gone away? No, it hasn’t! The advocates of big government are relentless. Like a stream of water they continue to work by finding the path of least resistance. We see this now with the Dobbs decision reversing Roe vs. Wade, one of the worst opinions ever handed down by the Supreme Court. This was a momentous decision and certainly cause for celebration. A period of relaxation predictably followed.
Has the pro-abortion lobby relaxed? Nope. The Supreme Court returned the abortion debate back to the states and that’s where the pro-abortionists have turned their focus. Now, the preferred course of action is to codify abortion in State Constitutions through the initiative petition (IP) process. The IP process allows for issues to be placed before the voters after gathering a required number of petition signatures. This is how issues like marijuana legalization for recreational use have been written into the Missouri Constitution. Amendment 3 passed in 2022 with 53% of the popular vote – passing in only 7 of 114 Missouri counties.
One of the priorities of House Leadership in the 2023 session was to pass IP reform. The strongest proposal called for a concurrent majority for the Missouri Constitution to be changed by popular vote. This means a statewide majority was still required but there would be an additional requirement that a majority of a smaller political subdivision (counties, House Districts, Senate Districts or Congressional Districts) approved as well. This would prevent a small number of urban areas (Kansas City, St Louis, Columbia and Springfield) from controlling the will of the majority of the state.
In the 2023 Session, the Missouri Legislature failed to pass any reforms and Governor Parson has been unwilling to call a Special Session to take up the measure. The result of this failure means that issues legalizing abortion, child mutilation through gender-denying surgery and other radical issues that cannot pass the Legislature will likely find their way to the ballot. This is the path of least resistance.
There are 163 House legislative districts in Missouri. It takes 82 votes on the House floor to pass a bill. The Kansas City, St Louis, Columbia and Springfield metropolitan areas account for 53 House seats. This is far short of the 82 votes needed to pass a bill in the House. With 34 seats in the Missouri Senate, 18 votes are required for a bill to pass. The above metro areas account for 12 State Senate Districts. There is not the requisite statewide support in the Legislature for these issues to pass. They can be and have been passed in a statewide vote at the ballot box.
What does this mean to our Convention of States Team? It means everything. It means this: If we are not vigilant, engaged and constantly working to restore the U.S. Constitution we will lose ground. It means if we do not continue to educate and activate the grassroots, we are vulnerable to groups that oppose liberty. It means if we do not teach our fellow Missourians how to be self-governing citizens, our elected officials are prone to run amok.
Every single Convention of States supporter is critical to the restoration of our republic. If you are an active volunteer, thank you for everything you do. If you’ve signed the petition but are not involved with your team we appreciate your support. But, please consider becoming an active team member. Your time and talents are needed to advance liberty for future generations. Go to https://conventionofstates.com/take_action for more information. Let’s resolve to be the self-governing citizens Benjamin Franklin knew were necessary to keep our republic!
In liberty,
Brett
Editor's P.S. HERE is a page with more information about volunteering with the COS Missouri Team.
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