In Convention of States’ thrilling first committee hearing of the year, the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee considered and passed Senate Joint Resolution 502 (SJR 502), calling for an Article V convention. The bill will now move to the Senate floor for a full vote.
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, prime sponsor Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, and a team of South Dakota grassroots supporters were on site to support the bill and celebrate the victory.
“The state of the federal government is out of control,” Mehlhaff argued in his testimony. “The power of the federal bureaucracy… needs to be restrained.”
Senior Advisor Santorum debunked popular myths about Article V, including the “runaway convention” fallacy. He pointed out that while proponents worry about radical alterations to the Constitution, the real danger is refusing to take action against a runaway federal government.
“The language before you today is the exact language that 19 other states have passed. Not a comma different," he stated. "So, you are considering language that will limit the subject matter at the convention to [restrains on federal spending, power, and terms of office].”
“It won’t run away, it can’t run away,” he added. “The idea that there is no way to limit it is simply false.”
Following Santorum’s impassioned testimony, a rapid succession of South Dakotan activists announced their support for SJR 502. With a clear mandate from the people, the committee passed the resolution on a vote of 8-1.
“Absolutely fantastic to watch,” reacted Convention of States President Mark Meckler. “The results were fantastic.”
We congratulate the South Dakota team for its hard work and successful testimony! Watch the full hearing below:
