On November 24, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Representatives Riordan McClain and Bernard Willis presented House Joint Resolution (H.J.R.) No. 3, an Article V application, to the House Government Oversight Committee, where they were backed by multiple grassroots supporters.
“I hate to stand, as a person who has spent the majority of my adult life in active military service, to tell you that the federal government is severely broken,” bemoaned Willis, the state’s District 74 representative, describing why he believes an Article V convention is necessary.
“The gravity and importance of this topic cannot be understated,” agreed McClain, who represents Ohio’s 87th District. “It is my opinion that to save this great Union, we must go down this difficult path.”
He was referring, of course, to the path to the first-ever Article V convention, as laid out by the Founders in the Constitution, a process that requires 34 states to pass resolutions identical to the one McClain presented in Ohio. Nineteen states have already done so, leaving several more, including the Buckeye State, in a close race to claim the 20th slot.
“Ohio is often a swing state in presidential elections. In passing the COS resolution, it would be a key swing state as the 20th state to pass, providing momentum in our march to 34 applications,” explained Paul Phillips, a Legislative Associate for COS.
Per Convention of States’ legislative strategy, the Ohio resolution was backed not only by state lawmakers but also by grassroots supporters who donned COS buttons and shirts and assembled in Columbus for a supporters-only hearing. The committee chair anticipated at the end of the hearing that many of these grassroots activists would receive the opportunity to speak in favor of the resolution at a future date.
After aptly rebutting several opposing questions, McClain and Willis temporality closed on their bill, leaving House Joint Resolution No. 3 most likely to be revisited in 2024. Our over 112,000 Ohioan supporters, in tandem with Convention of States President Mark Meckler and Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs Rita Peters, both of whom have dedicated considerable time to the Buckeye State, will see to it that this happens.
In the meantime, Convention of States will stream the Ohio committee hearing exclusively on COS Live on November 28 at 6:00 pm ET. Watch live here or tune in to the COS Podcast on Wednesday for an audio-only version.
Additionally, to keep up the pressure on state legislatures to consider and pass the Convention of States resolution next year, sign the petition below, and we’ll alert your state legislator of your support for the movement.
