Tens of thousands of viewers watched the live stream of the Convention of States Maryland testimony to the House of Delegates Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.
Members of the COS Maryland team testified in support of having the committee issue a favorable report on the application for an Article V Convention of States (to rein in unrestricted federal overreach).
The viewer count on the committee's YouTube live stream jumped from about 20-30 viewers to over 160 when discussion of our legislation (HJ6) began. Thousands more viewed on other channels, such as COS Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Delegate Mark Fisher, the lead sponsor to the Convention of States resolution HJ6, spoke first about why an Article V Convention of States is needed to address the serious problems the country faces.
Seventeen leaders, volunteers, and supporters of COS Maryland presented testimony asking the committee, chaired by Delegate Anne Healey, to support moving HJ6 out of committee and onto the full Maryland House.
The testimony covered a wide array of topics, ranging from explanations of the Article V resolution and the U.S. Constitution to very personal stories about the direction the country is taking.
Several Convention of States supporters spoke about the lack of federal restraint, calling on the state delegates to perform their duty to preserve the rights and interests of Marylanders.
COS Maryland State Director Steve Patten spoke directly to misinformation being spread about an Article V Convention, saying "Conventions of states were common in the founding era, and the basic procedures and rules were uniform. The historical precedent is plentiful. One just needs to look."
Robert Kelly, General Counsel for COS Action, addressed how an Article V Convention of States is in the best interests of all sides. Kelly explained details about the implementation of a convention of states and that a "runaway convention" cannot occur.
"I think there's no substantial risk of a convention of states running away or somehow rewriting the constitution," he said. "This application [resolution HJ6] invokes...the legislative authority that this [Maryland] legislature has under Article V of the U.S. Constitution." He continued, saying, "the convention only has the ability to propose, that is to say it's essentially a drafting committee."
COS Maryland State Content Writer Nichole Weakley shared the personal story of her family's escape from the tyranny of Eastern Europe and the parallels she sees rising in the U.S. today.
"That each side is honestly worried about who resides in the White House or which party controls the House and Senate, that in and of itself speaks to a dangerous level of centralized power that our Founding Fathers never intended," said Weakley.
On the term limit component of the Convention of States resolution, she said, "I believe that lifelong ruling at any level of government is left for kings, and we are a nation of public servants."
The COS petition currently has over 22,000 signatories in Maryland, and the team's testimony summarizes the concerns of Maryland citizens.
The end of the Maryland Legislative session is April 12, so it is expected the House Rules committee will act on HJ6 soon. To support calling for an Article V Convention of States by Maryland, call your state delegate today!
Delegate Mark Fisher (HJ-6 Sponsor) and Panel 1.
Steve Patten, State Director, COSA-MD, Robert Kelly, General Counsel, COSA on Panel 3.
Nichole Weakley, State Content Writer, COSA-MD on Panel 2.
Panel 4, COSA-MD volunteers.
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