On January 16th, 2022, COS Region 8 Captain Rick Mikluscak joined “The Constitution” radio show hosts for a discussion of the Article V process and the Convention of States as an organization.
The interview was so engaging that the hosts Darryl Henry, Chuck Ford, and Steve Ulrey invited Rick back for a Part Two which aired on January 30th.
Steve had three basic topics to cover in the second discussion. 1) By what authority is the convention called? 2) What is COS trying to accomplish? 3) How exactly will you do this? 
Those are great questions which Rick answered with ease. Listen to the full 23-minute program here.
By What Authority?
Article V of the US Constitution reads “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments . . .”
A two-thirds vote by the current 50 states requires at least 34 states to pass a resolution with essentially the same wording in order to call such a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments.
Purpose
In answer to the question of what COS is trying to accomplish, Rick reminded listeners of Lord Acton’s quote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” which is why our Constitution provides for limits, checks, and balances on government power.
This quote refers to the darker side of human nature where our natural survival instincts tend to lead us to take advantage of opportunities that favor ourselves.
For decades the federal government has progressively usurped powers that rightfully belong to the states. Our Founders recognized this natural inclination of a government of imperfect people to accumulate and preserve power to serve its own needs and priorities rather than those of the governed.
One objective of an Article V convention would be to reduce the role of unelected federal bureaucrats in making law, and to return that power to We the People through our elected representatives in the sovereign States.
The other two areas to be addressed by the Article V convention are term limits for federal officials including judges, and to impose fiscal restraints on federal spending and borrowing on the credit line of the America people.
How
When asked how these limits and restraints will be imposed, Rick explained that this is precisely what will be debated, discussed, and crafted into legal language during a Convention of States using time-honored precedents and protocols from our long history of state conventions.
Each state may send as many representatives as it chooses, however each state only has one vote. That is one vote per sovereign state, and not based upon population, geographic size or another variable.
During the convention the proposed amendments will be finalized and approved before sending them back to the States. Then finally, each proposed amendment must be ratified by a vote of three-quarters, or 38, of the current 50 states before formal incorporation into our Constitution.
You Can Help
A republic protects the rights of each individual citizen by following a rule of duly enacted constitutional law, while a democracy simply allows the majority to rule. Maintaining our form of government as a constitutional republic requires the constant attention and vigilant efforts of its citizens.
Rick believes that our natural God-given rights and responsibilities are in perfect harmony with the COS mission to build an engaged grassroots army of self-governing citizen activists.
Help protect your rights by joining us today!
If you have already signed the petition, we thank you.
Why not take the next step and share what you have learned with a few of your friends?
