This legislative week will feature several state assembly committees hearing intriguing legislation concerning our COS resolution, past Article V applications, election integrity, and parental rights in education.
On March 20 the Hawai'i Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental & Military Affairs will take up SCR 196-2024, the resolution to activate Article V of the Constitution for the purposes of a convention that will discuss and propose amendments that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.
The resolution was introduced by senators Donovan Dela Cruz (D), Mike Gabbard (D), Michelle Kidani (D), Sharon Moriwaki (D),and Glenn Wakai (D).
The Hawai'i COS team will be rehearsing their testimony prior to Wednesday's hearing, so as to be totally prepared to eloquently and persuasively advance the argument for Article V.
The hearing is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET and will be covered by COS Live.
Today, March 18, in Hartford, Connecticut, the Joint Government Administration and Elections Committee in the Connecticut General Assembly will discuss House Joint Resolution No. 230.
The resolution calls for two previous Article V applications made by the General Assembly in the mid-20th century to be rescinded.
An application that was adopted by the legislature in January 1949 called for an Article V convention concerning U.S. "participation in a world federal government." The other, adopted during a special session in March 1958, proposed a convention to discuss "taxation of residents of one state by another state."
HJ 230 simply rescinds and withdraws the applications. Because it does not contain language that distorts the Article V process, Convention of States Action (COSA) is neutral/supportive concerning the resolution to rescind.
The committee is scheduled to meet at 11:30 a.m. ET and coverage can be accessed here.
Also today, the Georgia Senate Ethics Committee will hear testimony concerning two election integrity bills. Each bill originated in the Georgia House of Representatives.
HB 974 is a bill that provides for the establishment and maintenance of the proper scanning and tabulation of paper ballots for primary and general elections by the Georgia secretary of state, and would repeal any acts that conflict with the language of HB 974.
HB 977 concerns the expansion of "risk-limiting audits" in Georgia state primary and general elections (and any special elections or runoffs). The legislation instructs local election superintendents to execute manual inspections of randomly selected paper ballots in public view, and provide details of any audit within 48 hours.
HB 974 was favorably reported out of the Georgia House Committee on Governmental Affairs and was adopted by the House of Representatives without a dissenting vote. HB 977 was passed by an overwhelming margin in the House.
COSA is supporting each of these bills along with the Heritage Foundation. The Senate Ethics Committee hearing is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET.
On March 19 in Tennessee, the General Assembly's House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee will consider House Bill 2936, the "Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act," introduced by Tennessee representative Jeremy Faison. HB 2936 is a companion bill to Senate Bill 2749.
The "Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act" codifies the right of parents to oversee the education and physical and mental health of their children as exclusive, and emphasizes the fundamental concept of self-governance -- consent. It also permits parental involvement in school organizations and associations that are sanctioned by boards of education in the state.
The hearing is scheduled to convene at 12:00 p.m. CT in House Hearing Room IV.
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