As we prepare for the beginning of the next legislative session, the Convention of States Maryland team has some exciting news to share. Senator Justin Ready is leading the charge in sponsoring our COS Action resolution in the Maryland Senate.
Ready, a Republican for District 5 (Carroll County), has been a state senator since 2015 and previously served in the House of Delegates from 2011 until his appointment in 2015. He has served in several leadership roles while in Annapolis and has been a representative of liberty-minded constituents.
We are extremely grateful for Senator Ready’s support and recently took the opportunity to learn more about why he believes an Article V Convention of the States is a worthy endeavor.
Senator Ready, what inspired you to put your influence behind COSA, for our nation and Marylanders in particular?
I have always been intrigued and interested in COSA. In the past I co-sponsored the legislation but was not the lead sponsor. What I have come to believe–particularly in this time of unparalleled division–is that we need a sea-change in how we view government, states’ rights, and how to make progress on key, overarching issues. This coming session, I am proud to be the lead sponsor of the COSA bill.
When a petition is signed by a constituent, their representatives in the Maryland State Legislature are notified. What crosses your mind when you receive these signed petitions?
I’ve had literally thousands of constituents of District 5, my Senate District, contact me on this exact issue expressing their support. Very few other pieces of legislation generate as much support and excitement that the COS bill does every year. It’s great to know that we are on the same page about empowering the states, and I like being able to respond to tell them what I’m working on.
In our current political climate, bipartisan politics is very difficult. We’re aware that Maryland is a deep blue state. However, COSA maintains a strictly non-partisan mission. For something like COSA, which calls for a limitation of government, what conversations can you have when engaging fellow representatives from across the aisle?
One of the main reasons that I support this legislation is because I believe that the federal government has grown far too large and intrusive. I do not believe that this is a political argument, and I believe that many of my fellow representatives across the aisle feel the same way. The conversation needed to pass this legislation should not be about which party’s president is in the White House, or which party currently has power in Washington, D.C. The conversation must revolve around the proper, limited role of the federal government and the need for a long-term realignment in both parties that focuses on fiscal responsibility. We need a return to local and state governments being the place that most things are addressed, not a hyper-active federal government.
Maryland was present at the founding of our country. In fact, Maryland citizens played significant roles at key times in key battles. One could say that without Maryland the revolution may not have been won. Do you believe that the spark of freedom and liberty still lives on in Maryland citizens today?
It is truly an honor to serve citizens in our state--the Old Line State--and I often think about our state’s incredible history. Just down the hall from the Senate chamber I serve in is the “Old Senate Chamber” where George Washington surrendered his command to the Continental Congress, signifying the importance of civilian leadership over the military. Maryland has amazing people. While we trend toward being more liberal politically, there is a middle temperament that still is alive and so my focus is always on appealing to the need for balance.
Looking to the future, let’s say a Convention of States has been called, and proposed amendments addressing fiscal responsibility, term limits, and states’ rights are ratified and become part of the Constitution. What do you see as the impact on Maryland’s citizens?
Realigning the federal government into its proper role–with consensus built by a Convention of the States–would reinvest power in government structures closest to and most accountable to the people in their own communities. The negotiation and open dialogue fostered through COS has the potential to also restore trust between warring factions of people, as well.
Ultimately, the most positive impact would be an affordable, limited, and effective federal government that gets us off the crazy debt and deficit cycle we are on now.
If you would like to thank Senator Ready for his support of our organization, please find all his contact information HERE.
