In a stunning demonstration of grassroots muscle, the Kansas Senate passed the Convention of States resolution by a supermajority vote: 29-11. Today’s successful third reading marks final passage for SCR 1604 in the Senate.
“The team has been in training — it’s like they’ve been lifting weights — for ten years,” Regional Director Deanna Becket praised the grassroots. “They have educated all of these legislators year in and year out.”
“Our teams certainly have to learn about working for delayed gratification,” added Convention of States Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs Rita Peters. “Although some people say Convention of States wants a silver bullet, a quick and easy fix, this is not a quick and easy fix. Our teams are out there working, have been working tirelessly for years towards this.”
The Kansas Constitution requires a two-thirds supermajority for Article V applications to pass, although COS proponents argue this increased threshold is unconstitutional. Previously, the Kansas legislature approved the COS resolution with a simple majority vote in the House (74-48) and Senate (22-16). With pending litigation against the supermajority requirement, the Sunflower State team decided to proceed with a new bill, aiming to achieve historic two-thirds support.
With over 47,000 petition signers in the state, the mandate from the people was overwhelming.
“The people want their state legislators to use their Article V power to fight back against federal overreach,” Mrs. Peters noted. “It was just so refreshing to see the Kansas Senate act with such courage and resolve today.”
The resolution will now advance to the House, where the team has already begun the process of boosting the number of representatives (74) who voted for COS last time. If they can secure a second supermajority vote — or if a state court rules against the controversial two-thirds requirement — Kansas may become the 20th state to join COS in short order!
Watch the historic vote and learn more about our ongoing litigation in the Sunflower State below:
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