In office for mere weeks, Representative Ray Pickett in House District 93 has aligned himself with other North Carolina state representatives who have sponsored HJR 146, proving they are no friend of the U.S. Constitution.
HJR 146 attempts to rescind any application to use Article V of the U.S. Constitution to call an amendatory convention to bypass Congress and propose amendments Congress will never propose on their own.
An Article V convention of states is a constitutional, safe, and practical method to rein in an out-of-control federal government. It is a method our Founders gave us to put Congress, the executive branch, and the judiciary back in the constitutional box.
Here in North Carolina, even those who claim to support
the Constitution oppose this effort. Representative Ray Pickett joins that illustrious group. He was asked to explain his position for this article but did not respond.
Rep. Ray Pickett promised to support the U.S. Constitution when he was sworn into office. He has betrayed that oath. His constituents or any North Carolina resident should demand he reverse course. Contact him here.
Let’s look at HJR 146. It is full of false and contradictory statements.
First, the resolution correctly describes an Article V convention for proposing amendments in the opening paragraph but then provides two additional contradictory and false descriptions. It calls it a “general convention” in one section and a “constitutional convention” in another.
These falsehoods are meant to instill fear that this process will somehow lead to a new constitution, that the process is not simply a second way to amend the Constitution as our Founders intended.
Despite the fact that Article V clearly says it is a convention for amending the constitution and despite the scholarly research and legal jurisprudence, this myth persists.
It is fascinating that those who argue this point on one hand imply Article V authorizes a constitutional convention and, therefore, a bad idea. Then on the other hand demand we just need to follow the U.S. Constitution. Which is it?
And if Article V does not provide an option for proposing amendments to the Constitution, what does that section of Article V mean? How should it be used? Why did the Framers write Article V the way they did? Were they wrong?
It seems opponents would simply like to ignore that part of the Constitution. Make it go away.
Those who oppose this effort are so busy trying to find arguments why it won’t work, they find themselves boxed into an illogical, nonsensical position.
Second, the resolution points to none other than the liberal Supreme Court justice Arthur J. Goldberg who opposed an Article V convention of states. This is the same justice who helped shift the court to a broader construction of constitutional rights that led to Roe v. Wade. No wonder he opposed it.
Is that seriously what Rep. Pickett wants? For the Supreme Court to expand rights that do not exist in the Constitution? That is precisely the problem. An Article V convention of states is the only way we will ever get amendments that will rein in the courts.
A third curious statement in the resolution claims by having a convention of states we will be opening “the Constitution to sweeping changes…and only begin the process of another two centuries of litigation and interpretation.” Again, it is the unchecked Supreme Court that continues to reinterpret and expand rights that do not exist.
If those who sponsored this resolution actually want to prevent the Supreme Court from expanding rights and giving the federal government more power, then they should support an Article V convention of states, not oppose it.
Finally, they refer to “other leading constitutional scholars” who oppose this effort but provide no names. Who are they? The fact is every serious constitutional scholar and conservative public figure endorses this effort.
And who is opposed? None other than George Soros and Hillary Clinton. Rep. Pickett is aligned perfectly with those far-left liberal voices in sponsoring HJR 146.
As David Horowitz recently said, “Mr. Soros smiles, breathes a deep sigh of relief, and toasts to their success.”
What can you do?
Whether you are a constituent or simply a concerned North Carolina resident tired of an out-of-control federal government, a court that continues to expand rights that do not exist in the constitution, runaway spending, and career politicians, contact Rep. Ray Pickett here.
Demand he reverse course. It is not too late. Ask him instead to support HJR 233, the resolution to have North Carolina join other states calling for an Article V convention of states.
Jeff Groh resides in western North Carolina and is a small business owner. He is also a Regional Captain for the Convention of States Project, a non-partisan effort to rein in the expanding role of the federal government.
