Despite a chill in the air as the season’s first big snow storm headed their way, a spirited crowd of more than 50 citizen activists descended upon Richmond on Friday, January 11, where they were seen and heard by dozens of state legislators and their legislative assistants.
The group was energized by the Wednesday filing of House Joint Resolution (HJ) 685, which places on the General Assembly’s 2019 legislative agenda our Convention of States (COS) initiative. The Chief Patron of HJ 685 is Delegate Chris Peace (House District 97/Mechanicsville). Be sure you send him a note thanking him for his liberty-loving leadership.
Another to thank is Senator Mark Peake (Senate District 22/Goochland), a steadfast COS supporter who again is sponsoring our “Faithful Commissioner” initiative, Senate Joint Resolution (SJ) 268.
An objection we often hear is that those sent to represent us at a COS may “go rogue.” The General Assembly can and must ensure anyone empowered to do its bidding at an Article V convention remains faithful to its orders and intentions. SJ 268 establishes how the General Assembly will choose, instruct, and—if necessary—remove “commissioners” (meaning “a person selected and commissioned to represent the state legislature at an interstate convention”). When passed, this resolution will remove concern for rogue actors as a legitimate reason to oppose a COS.
After spending all morning meeting and discussing HJ 685 and SJ 268 with legislators and senior staffers, COS volunteers and supporters gathered for a rally on Capitol Square. Senator Peake spoke to us about the powerful influence that the COS grassroots army has on him and others in Richmond.
Next, talk radio host Joe Thomas (Charlottesville WCHV / FM 107.5 and AM 1260) was presented with the Benjamin Franklin Award for Journalistic Excellence, an honor previously announced by Convention of States Project President, Mark Meckler.
Joe is the only journalist in the nation to receive this award, Mark noted, citing his "excellent reporting of the facts, and the history, and what it means to have Article V to be operative and to be worked on in your state."
If you attended Citizen Activist Day, don’t forget to capture the details of your various interactions with legislators and their staffs by coordinating with your District or Regional Captain, or by sending your input to: leaders.va@cosaction.com.
