By now you've probably heard that the Convention of States team in South Carolina scored a major victory this week when the House Judiciary Committee passed our resolution with a commanding 14-9 vote.
Now it's on to the full House, and media outlets are taking notice.
Check out the coverage below from South Carolina's FITS News:
Supporters of an Article V convention – or “convention of states” – scored a major victory this week when their preferred piece of legislation cleared the South Carolina House of Representatives’ judiciary committee. The bill – H. 3125 – passed the GOP-controlled committee by a 14-9 vote. It is now headed to a vote on the floor of the 124-member, GOP-controlled S.C. House.
The legislation in question – which has been endorsed by S.C. speaker Jay Lucas – would make an application to the U.S. Congress on behalf of the S.C. General Assembly to “call an amendment convention of the states pursuant to Article V” of the U.S. Constitution.
However, such a constitutional convention would be “limited to proposing amendments … that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.”[...]
To recap: Article V is the section of the U.S. Constitution which deals with amending our nation’s founding document. An “Article V convention” is one of two methods by which changes to the Constitution can be proposed – with such a convention being called in the event “two thirds of the several states” make an application to congress.
The other method for proposing amendments is a two-thirds vote of both the U.S. House and Senate.
Since the Constitution was ratified, thirty-three amendments have been approved by congress and sent to the states – of which twenty-seven have been ratified. Only one amendment – the eighteenth amendment prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages – has ever been repealed. All of these amendments were proposed by a two-thirds vote of the U.S. Congress, however for an amendment to be ratified – irrespective of its origin – it must be approved by three-fourths of all states.[...]
H. 3125 did not clear the judiciary committee without drama, though. Several black lawmakers – led by race-baiting state representative John King – objected to the idea of a convention of states on the grounds that it could be used to reinstitute slavery.
No really … King said that.
Like many lawmakers, this news outlet is continuing to study this issue in the hopes of arriving at an educated perspective – not a reflexively ideological, political, race-based or partisan perspective.
Congrats to the team in South Carolina! This is a historic victory for the state, and we're excited to watch as volunteers and legislative sponsors work to make South Carolina the 16th state to pass the Convention of States resolution.
If you're curious what it takes to pass in a legislative committee, be sure to check out all the testimony videos from South Carolina we've posted on our YouTube channel. It's inspiring, and definitely worth your time.
Want to get involved in your state? Sign the Convention of States petition below!
