On Thursday, March 25, in a significant advancement of the Convention of States movement, John Slothower and Phillip Law persuaded the majority of 625 Republican Party delegates attending the Wake County Republican Party Convention, to approve and adopt a resolution to support House Joint Resolution HJR-233.
This resolution resolution was filed in the North Carolina House of Representatives in support of calling an Article V convention of states to rein in the federal government.
Five days in advance of the convention, Slothower and Law provided the proposal to the convention managers. They also ensured that the 600+ delegates in attendance had copies of the resolution prior to entry into the convention.
The acting chairman of the GOP convention read the proposal into the record, so that the delegates attending by video could hear the resolution. John Slothower reports that after the proposal was read, it was met with enthusiastic applause.
A two-minute presentation by Slothower was followed by two debate sessions in which opponents expressed fears that an Article V Convention of States could lead to a “constitutional convention,” potentially resulting in the loss of individual rights. These concerns were easily refuted by Law and Slothower by explaining that Article V:
- Only allows convention delegates to propose amendments to the Constitution.
- Only allows one vote per state, regardless of the number of delegates any state sends.
- Only allows for discussion and voting on the specific issues described in the resolution.
- And, most importantly, requires any proposed amendments to be ratified by the states in separate conventions or in their own legislatures.
Additionally, recent court decisions have affirmed the doctrine of the faithful delegate.
The chair then called for a voice vote which was inconclusive. At this point, the chair called for a formal vote to determine if the motion would pass. The motion was easily carried.
As a result, the Wake County Republican Party will require their nominees as candidates, party affiliates, and office holders to support HJR 233 and will urge all representatives and senators to vote in favor of the resolution.
While Wake County is almost entirely represented by Democrats, at all levels, this is a significant step. It sends the message that the Republican Party must not only find acceptable candidates, but these candidates must understand and accept that structural changes are needed to restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments.
Voters of all stripes are increasingly recognizing that the federal government has assumed too much power. Although we must continue to promote quality candidates, this is ultimately less important than changing the balance of power between the federal and state governments.
Many voters are now recognizing that the Convention of States movement is the remedy to correct the structural problems that exist at a national level.
