“In the coming weeks and months, we’re going full throttle,” said Mark Meckler, president of Convention of States, in January. “The grassroots have dedicated months of effort to lead up to this moment, and now that it’s here, you can expect them to push ahead full-speed.”
“This is what true grassroots activism looks like,” he continued, “and I have full confidence that our dedicated army of citizen supporters will not quit — will not rest — until they save this country.”
Nine months later, his words still ring true. In fact, if he was wrong about anything, it was that the grassroots momentum behind COS would only last a couple of weeks or months. On the contrary, the grassroots never took their foot off the pedal. Racing into August and September with a jam-packed schedule, they made the most of the end of summer to raise awareness about Article V.
One of the biggest events of the season was the Iowa State Fair, where activists received more than 4,000 new petition signatures.
“Iowans are beyond frustrated with the unchecked power and overreach of the federal government,” Iowa State Director Karen Schuster observed. “The Convention of States message was one of hope for the future of America, and it resonated with Iowans loud and clear.”
The ten-day event brought the total number of Iowans who have signed the COS petition to nearly 56,000.
Across the river in the Praire State, the Illinois team left its mark at the Illinois State Fair, employing new technologies and creative techniques to reach 1,744 petition signers. Using iPads instead of paper petitions enabled the team to process new data more efficiently. And adding a dog watering station lured in owners and their pets.
In Texas, Legislative Liason Mark O’Conner received the Congressional Patriot Award from U.S. Representative Pat Fallon, who had, only days earlier, endorsed COS.
“Fortunately, the United States Constitution has once again come to our rescue,” the Congressman said. “The Founders knew this day would come, and in Article V of the Constitution, they provide us with the users’ manual for resuscitating our exceptional Republic. Now, it’s up to us to use the Constitution to save the Constitution.”
“Convention of States Action is actively implementing that plan,” he added, “and I wholeheartedly commend their efforts. It is not enough merely to read the supreme law of the land. If you believe in the U.S. Constitution, I invite you to join me in supporting Convention of States.”
On August 17, Texas volunteers teamed up with Tennessee team members in Knoxville for the Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit, where they received hundreds of signatures. Gun shows, such as in DeLand and Melbourne, Florida, Augusta, Maine, and East Ridge, Tennessee, continue to stand out as popular events for reaching new petition signers.
Another popular event over the summer is the state fair. In addition to the Iowa and Illinois State Fairs, the grassroots collected thousands of petition signatures at fairs, conventions, and festivals in South Dakota, Delaware, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Colorado, Ohio, Louisiana, Tennessee, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.
Of course, every new petition signature translates to increased awareness about Convention of States amongst the state legislators who hold the unique power to call an Article V convention. As we near the 2025 legislative session, teams are already putting together their plans for passing the COS Resolution in the upcoming year with state strategy meetings in New Jersey, Connecticut, Mississippi, Indiana, and more.
Multiple states also supported the movement during our “Shopping for Petitions” events, where activists engaged with shoppers outside grocery stores to educate them about how Article V can help combat inflation.
While the past several months have been discouraging for millions of Americans, Convention of States’ trained political operatives never let the bad news keep them from taking action. As the nation’s attention centers on the upcoming election, the unsung heroes of the grassroots army continue to put boots on the ground to advocate for liberty at the state and local levels. As one national leader praised, “Our grassroots have the biggest hearts [and] do so much for our mission.”
We can never thank these patriots enough for all they’re doing to preserve liberty in America. To join the grassroots army, sign the Convention of States petition below!
