Convention of States Maryland Legislative Liaison & Grassroots Coordinator Stephen Patten appeared as a guest on Mark & the Millennials podcast on November 17th. Mark & the Millennials, hosted by Delegate Mark Fisher of District 27C in Calvert County, can be heard here.
Delegate Mark Fisher interviewed Steve about his expansive knowledge of the Convention of States Action mission and the workings of an Article V Convention of States to propose and debate amendments to the Constitution. Steve has been a COSA-MD volunteer since 2017 and served as Maryland’s State Director from 2018-2021.
Listen to the full episode entitled COS and Why State Legislatures Are Important which is as entertaining as it is informative.
You’ll learn Steve Patten’s origin story as a father of four when in 2009, out of concern for their future, he was inspired to join the Tea Party movement. At the time, it was the best opportunity to address his concerns over the federal government’s fiscal irresponsibility.
Steve undertook a self-education journey on how federal and state governments works where he discovered federal power emanates from the states. This journey led his to Convention of States where he joined as a state leader in 2017.
Steve explains how Article V offers 2 ways to propose amendments through 1) Congress or 2) the States. Fifteen state legislatures have passed the Convention of States resolution; 34 are needed to trigger an Article V Convention to debate and propose amendments.
In his role as a Convention of States citizen activist, Steve enjoys talking to fellow Marylanders and he hears their deep frustrations, particularly with federal overreach and vaccine mandates. The frustration is real and from all sides of the aisle. Mic drop moments include:
The Federal government is doing what they’re doing because we let them…the country has gotten off the rails and if we get power back to the citizens, we can solve the problem with a Convention of States.
Steve Patten
The Federal bureaucracy is so complex and so complicated…it has to be reduced substantially and returned to the states.
Delegate Mark Fisher
Some entertaining highlights and informative takeaways from the podcast include a rambling discussion about:
- Who controls the state legislatures?
- Obamacare’s natural result is the vaccine mandate.
- Dr. Fauci’s latest head scratching over citizens choosing liberty over tyranny.
- How an obscure 1942 Supreme Court case (Wickard vs. Filburn) impacted federal expansion.
- How 9 robed justices at the Supreme Court are so powerful.
- Creative ways to implement term limits.
- American Rescue Plan cracks down on American taxpayers through the IRS and Venmo.
- Build Back Better requires fantastical money printing.
- Joy Reid’s latest deception to her viewers.
- Who is listening to the media?
Wait! Before you listen to the podcast, please help by signing the petition and then send it to your circle of influence.
Convention of States is looking for people to make decisions that are local, people who will stand up and push back using this Constitutional & peaceful way to get the federal government back in its rightful place, people who will begin to say "no more".
