Jefferson City, Mo., June 28, 2018 – A Missouri court has handed the Convention of States Project a major victory. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon E. Beetem has ruled a constitutional challenge to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4 (SCR4) is without merit. The SCR4 lawsuit was filed in September 2017. It claimed the Missouri legislature failed to follow its state constitution when it passed the COS Article V Resolution in May 2017.
SCR4 is the Missouri legislature’s application to Congress calling for a Convention of States for the sole purpose of proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Calling a Convention of States is granted and governed by Article V of the U.S. Constitution.
“This ruling validates the constitutionality of our Convention of States grassroots movement,” said Missouri COS Director Brett Sterley. “It sets a national precedent for lawsuits that might question our organization’s intent or legal position.”
Convention of States Action President Mark Meckler stated, “This decision reaffirms the supremacy of the state legislatures in the Article V convention process. This is a victory for federalism. No one can stand in the way of our right, through our state legislatures, to amend our Constitution and restore meaningful restraints on the federal government.”
Missouri was the 12th state to pass the Convention of States resolution. Since the COS movement launched in 2013, more than 3.3 million volunteers and advocates have pledged their support to stop the federal government’s abuse of power through fiscal constraint, by limiting its power and jurisdiction, and by imposing term limits on officials and members of Congress.
