VICTORY IN THE HOUSE MAKES TEXAS #11!
As several hundred COS supporters gathered at the capitol in Austin on the morning of May 4, the mood was optimistic. The Texas team was excited about the impending House floor vote on the Convention of States resolution, SJR 2, which had garnered 79 sponsors in addition to the main author, Rep. Rick Miller of Sugar Land. With 150 members in the House of Representatives, only 76 votes were needed to pass, so we felt we were virtually assured of a winning vote.
(Above) A show of force: Rep. Rick Miller, flanked by fellow SJR 2 sponsors, makes the case for Convention of States.
But we knew that the process would not be without challenges. The main difficulty was the fact that the resolution had been amended by the House Select Committee on State and Federal Power and Responsibility, making its passage contingent on the passage of two other Article V-related items. Those two items had also been amended from the versions passed by the Senate, so even though those bills had passed the House, they as well as SJR 2 would need to be reconciled in a conference committee in order to be fully adopted. With only a few weeks left in the legislative session, it was not at all clear that this could be accomplished in the time remaining - which would mean another two-year delay in calling for the convention.
So it was essential to amend and restore SJR 2 to the "clean" version that had been passed by the Senate.
As he had committed to do, Rep. Miller stepped up to the challenge and proposed the amendment to clean up the wording of the resolution. This change was easily passed by our loyal sponsors as well as a number of other house members. After a brief debate and partisan challenges by opposition in the House, the final vote was taken: 94 Yes, 51 No, and 5 not voting.
With passage of SJR 2 by the House, Texas became the eleventh state to call for an Article V convention to rein in the overreach of the federal government.
One of the notable moments of the afternoon was the point at which the list of cosponsors was being updated. It was gratifying to see several dozen legislators rushing up to the podium to ensure that their names were included as sponsors of SJR 2!
Left: House members surround the podium to claim their spot on the cosponsor list. Right: the vote scoreboard - 94-51-5!
After the final vote, the Convention of States team met in the capitol auditorium to celebrate together. Rep. Miller spoke briefly: "I just want to do the right thing for our country," he said, but he acknowledged that the grassroots activists - "125,000 of you out there in Texas-land" - had done a large part of the work. "We're thrilled that so many people came together to get this done - and so many Republicans wanted to be part of this," he said, adding that he wished more Democrats were enthusiastic about the movement. "Now let's get out there in those other states and get those other states working to get to 34."
As Texas leaders Tamara Colbert and Tom Dowdy listen, House author Rep. Rick Miller offers his congratulations on the victory.
In addition to Rep. Miller, many thanks are due to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has championed an Article V convention for the past year, as well as Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Sen. Brian Birdwell, who were instrumental in bringing about passage of the resolution in the Senate.
Radio host Mark Levin opened his broadcast that evening with the announcement. "Do you want to hear the very biggest news today? The Texas House just passed the Article V convention of states resolution....So Texas is state number eleven. I am telling you...this is going to be an earthquake."
Left: COS supporters, sporting buttons, arrive early for the House session. Right: After the vote, the team offers a prayer of thanks for the victory. Below: a small part of the COS Texas team - now numbering 125,000 strong and growing!
