A Convention of States is NOT a Constitutional Convention. The second clause of Article V of the Constitution clearly stipulates the states right to convene. To clarify a couple of arguments that have been raised please understand the following:
1) The Convention of States under Article V has no power to rewrite the constitution, or even to amend the constitution. It only may propose amendments, just as Congress can. Then 38 states must ratify each proposed amendment (the exact same process when Congress proposes an amendment).
2) The Convention of States cannot propose amendments to any issue it wants. The petition signed by 19 states to date limits amendments to those that “impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, or limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress”.
3) The petitions from each state need to be identical, and most states that have passed the resolution have included “faithful delegate” laws, making it a felony to propose or support amendments counter to the instructions of their state legislature.
Opponents claim this is a “radical” movement, but any proposed amendment must be bipartisan otherwise it will never be ratified by 38 states. Most Americans agree that we shouldn’t have a 30 trillion-dollar debt that is ever increasing, a bloated government with non-elected bureaucrats that can’t be voted out, and career politicians that have become multi-millionaires riding on the backs of us the taxpayer.
As for nullification, this is a great option that should be taken advantage of whenever possible by the states. Unfortunately, states can’t nullify our national debt or nullify in term limits for the Federal Government and its bureaucracy. History has shown that the Supreme Court—not an individual state—has the final say in whether the federal government has acted outside the scope of its authority under the Constitution. For decades Congress has been lawyering around the Constitution’s limitations utilizing loopholes in constitutional phrases like “the general welfare” and “regulate commerce”. This is truly the real danger, not the movement trying to leverage one of the powers of the state that was granted in Article V by our forefathers.
The frustration level amongst the people is at an all-time high, which is why it’s so critical that we come together and reign in the Federal Government. It has gradually usurped power away from the states over the course of decades, putting us in a place opposite of what our Founding Fathers ever intended.
If you are happy with how the Federal Government is currently governing, then stay the status quo. If you’re frustrated and have felt powerless to do anything, please research and consider joining and volunteering with Convention of States.
You can sign our petition by visiting conventionofstates.com. Getting state legislatures to align and pass this resolution takes a lot of education and time, mostly making them understand that the opposition both from the radical left and fringe right is fearmongering.
