COS team steps up to end child mutilation, override governor's veto

In an outstanding display of grassroots activism and power, the Convention of States Action team in Louisiana recently proved that when the American people stand up and stand together, they can become a formidable force for good.

This year, the Louisiana Legislature wrestled with House Bill 648, a bill to protect children from life-altering sex-change surgeries. According to the text of the bill, the legislation would “exclude certain services, treatments, and procedures that alter the sex characteristics of a minor.”

Championed by the COSA LA team, which “attended all the sessions throughout the bill's movement through the legislative process,” House Bill 648 passed out of both the House and Senate with overwhelming support. To the team’s horror, however, the governor shot down the legislation with a veto.

Upon suffering this crushing setback, other teams might count their losses and go home. But not the Louisiana team! Instead, Pelican State activists rallied together in an audacious attempt to overturn the governor’s veto, reaching out to their fellow patriots statewide for support.

Altogether, the team made thousands of calls and sent hundreds of emails, urging the Legislature to overturn the veto and encouraging like-minded constituents to join them in the fight.

“Over 5,000 emails and phone calls were generated by COS supporters to their legislators over the course of the 2023 legislative session,” said Julie Sandifer, Louisiana State Director. “One thousand seven hundred of those contacts were from constituents encouraging their legislators to participate in the recent veto override session as well as asking for their support of HB648. We are also very appreciative of the more than 1,300 TelePatriot calls that were made in the last two days before the override session.”

Ultimately, the veto was quashed on July 18. It was the first override of the state’s current governor’s veto.

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“What a historic win that bill was for Louisiana,” Sandifer recalled. “Because of the outpouring of support from conservatives across the state, we were able to override the governor’s veto of this bill, and now, Louisiana children are safe from life-altering sex-change procedures.”

The grassroots turnout in support of HB 648 proved so formidable, the bill’s author, Rep. Gabe Firment, praised the Convention of States team for its critical role in the bill’s final passage.

"I am convinced that without the relentless efforts of COS and other grassroots organizations, the state legislature would never have overridden the governor’s veto of HB648,” Firment said. “The emails from COS members within legislators’ districts were especially effective in persuading legislators to override the governor’s egregious veto. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of COS members, the children of Louisiana are safe from irreversible, experimental sex change procedures that maim the body and destroy the soul."

"I'm extremely proud of the perseverance displayed by the Louisiana team,” Convention of States Regional Director Jonathan Viaud echoed. “There were many instances where it appeared that HB 648 was not going to pass, but the team remained undeterred, and always searched for the next step we could take to press forward. The Louisiana team is the embodiment of the committed, self-governing grassroots army we seek to establish across the nation to accomplish our goal of calling an Article V convention. With Patriots like those on the Louisiana team, I have no doubt that we will ultimately be successful in our mission."

To join the grassroots army in your state, sign the Convention of States petition below, and together, let’s rally to save freedom.