The Great American Epic: an update from the states

I have often wondered how George Mason and the other Founding Fathers would react to today’s nationwide grassroots army dedicated entirely to using the second clause of Article V to combat the “oppressive” national government that Mason warned about.

For one, they would be surprised at how large the country had grown. They knew from firsthand experience how difficult it could be to get 13 colonies to agree about anything — let alone 50 states! But that is exactly what Convention of States has done: we have united patriots from Connecticut to Hawaii and Oklahoma to Vermont behind a single shared cause.

The new year has already seen a whirlwind of activity for the grassroots, who have pushed the COS resolution through multiple legislative hearings and votes. Thus far, we have witnessed progress for our Article V application in Montana, Wyoming, Iowa, Kansas, New Hampshire, and South Dakota. Multiple other states have considered 34|Ready, which helps prepare their legislatures for the eventual first Article V convention.

While potentially dozens of states will file the COS application before the year closes, one state in particular stands out: Connecticut helped COS cross a major milestone in January when it became the 50th state in history to file our resolution!

“The Connecticut team has been working really hard,” cheered Regional Director Haley Shaw. “As the Constitution State, they are elated to finally have the resolution filed!”

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the grassroots haven’t also experienced their share of setbacks. Although the Mount Rushmore State team managed to push our bill through the Senate State Affairs Committee, Senate, and House State Affairs Committee all within a few weeks, it ultimately fell short in the House. Nevertheless, the team has rebounded with tremendous grace and resilience, mobilizing to return stronger than ever.

“The work we did was so valuable,” said Regional Director Deanna Becket. “We will keep fighting and will keep going.”

Elsewhere, teams have focused on building relationships with their legislators during all-hands-on-deck Surge Days. While Surge season is still in its early stages, grassroots efforts in states like Colorado, Maryland, Idaho, Montana, and beyond have already left an indelible impact through rallies at their state capitols. As Mark Meckler explained, “The Surge is every state team’s opportunity to flex their muscles, to swamp their state capitols with overwhelming support for COS. From seasoned COS veterans to the newest members, all supporters are encouraged to participate in this herculean effort.”

The Aloha State team takes these words very seriously. In fact, their Surge lasts more than a month! For six weeks, beginning in January, the “Aloha Warriors” will meet weekly with their legislators, distributing educational materials about Article V and urging them to support COS.

“It was a very productive visit,” said COS General Counsel Robert Kelly, who participated in the team’s first 2025 trip to the capitol. “Thanks to the Hawaii team’s efforts, we secured the support of a critical senate sponsor in Donovan Dela Cruz, and met with a number of other important legislators, including the House Minority Leader.”

Future historians will look back on these moments as crucial landmarks in the great American Epic, the unfolding journey that led to an Article V convention. The narrative will begin at the 1787 Constitutional Convention and continue through 2025 (which has already been a page-turner). Even now, we may be living through the final chapters of volume one: “The Road to Convention.”

If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: the Founding Fathers would respond to the COS grassroots with immense pride — not only because an army of patriots has finally answered their call to utilize Article V, but also because they are fulfilling the even greater mission of creating a more perfect Union.

Sign the COS petition to show your support!