By Diana Telles, State Communications Coordinator, Convention of States Ohio
After many months of anticipation, Convention of States Ohio was finally granted its moment on February 6, 2024, to present proponent testimony in support of HJR-3. HJR-3 is the current resolution in the Ohio House outlining the terms for a state amending convention sponsored by Reps. McClain and Willis.
Surrounded by a roomful of avid supporters who spilled into overflow space, the COS Ohio state team, with the help of the country’s foremost constitutional attorney and COS co-founder Dr. Michael Farris, “put on a clinic” for the bipartisan Government Oversight Committee. For more than three hours, thirteen legislators were given the opportunity to hear the hard facts delivered by Dr. Farris and Ohio grassroots as they addressed in detail why the Founders created the amending convention process, our nation’s current dangerous circumstances, and the safety of the Article V process.
Assuring the committee that the process was safe, Dr. Farris did not mince words as he called out so-called experts who fear an amending convention,
“People who call themselves constitutionalists on the one hand and then claim the Constitution was a result of runaway convention are engaged in intellectual schizophrenia at a pretty deep level.”
Dr. Farris went on to warn against extreme right-wing opponents of Article V who do not trust any form of government (labeling them functional anarchists) and then criticized left-wing opponents who believe in a massive, centralized government. Critical of both extremes, he explained, “We need to do the kind of government that works, that is a constitutional republic where there are limited powers at each level of government, and there are functional checks and balances.”
State leadership from Convention of States Ohio and grassroots advocates from around the state followed Dr. Farris offering brilliant and well-prepared testimony. Individual statements were carefully crafted to thoroughly address all critical issues that surround the passage of HJR-3. Presenters debunked several common claims promoted by our opposition and drove home the benefits of limiting federal overreach and promoting fiscal responsibility in Washington, DC by way of new amendments. He even discussed how a state convention could address our border issue.
COS Ohio speakers fielded relevant questions proposed by committee members and engaged in wholesome but lively dialog. But the basic message was clear, as evidenced by this plea of Katherine Clark, COS District Captain in Ohio House District 75, “I cannot fix Washington. But you can. An Article V Convention of States is for you to enact. It is your responsibility. Indeed, it is your obligation.”
The operative language of HJR-3 matches that of the 19 other states that have already passed the COS resolution in the hopes of reaching the magic number of 34 required to trigger the convention. As directed by this resolution, amendments in this limited convention can only be written to impart fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to set term limits for federal offices.
On deck for Ohio’s HJR3 COS resolution will be opponent testimony followed by an “interested parties” session. Dates for both hearings have yet to be scheduled but will be promoted once the information is available.
View full proponent testimony in support of HJR-3 to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee (2/6/24) HERE.
