Exactly ten years ago, on March 6, 2014, Mark Meckler, president of the newly formed Convention of States, penned a few fateful words, announcing a history-changing bulletin:
“I have fantastic news from The Peach State,” he said.
“On March 6, 2014, Georgia became the first state in American history to pass the Convention of States application to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.”
Primarily known at the time for his leadership in the Tea Party movement, Meckler was already a rising star in grassroots politics. But when the Tea Party electoral sweep of 2010 ultimately failed to fix Washington, D.C., the activist began questioning whether merely sending well-intentioned candidates into a broken system was sufficient.
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Partnering with renowned constitutional attorney Michael Farris, Meckler devised a new strategy to tap into Article V of the Constitution to effect more permanent change in Washington. By March 6, 2014, what started out as a dream to utilize a never-before-used constitutional provision was already blossoming into fruition, with Georgia becoming the first state in history to pass the Convention of States resolution calling for state-imposed restraints on federal spending, power, and terms of office.
“I am pleased that the Georgia legislature has given voice to the frustrations of millions of Georgians,” State Senator Cecil Staton, the resolution’s primary sponsor, declared. “Enough is enough. It is time to impose fiscal and other restraints on our runaway federal government. We urge other states to join us.”
It was the beginning of a movement that would soon sweep the nation, leading a total of 19 states and millions of supporters into the official COS fold within a decade. Today, ten years later, the grassroots are engaged in every state, advocating relentlessly for the first-ever Article V convention. Already this year, over 15 states have introduced active COS legislation, and many more state teams have hosted Capitol Day advocacy events. The momentum behind the organization continues to expand, touching every corner of this great land. But, as the history books will recall, it all started ten years ago — with Georgia on its mind.
