The Northeast Patriots Region, comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York, has been quite busy. Between making over 3,000 TelePatriot calls alongside the Union Region, to surge days, and many other events, there's no shortage of activity.
Here are some highlights from each of the seven states in the region:
Connecticut
Quick stats: 18,928 petition signers, 104 total leaders, 12 district captains, 53 events held in 2023.
Connecticut is participating in social events, town halls, informational meetings, and team calls. Two hit events were a Revolutionary Tavern Tour and a social event for supporters at a local winery. The team is looking forward to participating in more of these fun events this year. Mark Meckler joined Connecticut for a successful lobby day on March 13th. This year's legislative session is short, so the team is working on the 34|Ready Model Commissioner Legislation with the time they have. Connecticut has great support from their sponsor, Jason Perillo, who's been on board with the COS mission for several years. The team recently gained the support of two co-sponsors.
Maine
Quick stats: 15,741 petition signers, 29 total leaders, 11 district captains, 17 events held in 2023.
Maine is working on growing a team to cover all 151 house districts. The current recruiting drive has been going well with over 18 new applications coming in the last months. The team will be holding their first of many town hall meetings on March 23rd. This year, Maine has a strong line-up of nine gun shows scheduled among other big events. The team is presenting 34|Ready Model Commissioner Legislation, which they believe will help the COS Resolution pass in the future. Maine is following up on legislation that was recently submitted by another organization calling for term limits to see if they can form an alliance with legislators supportive of that legislation.
Massachusetts
Quick stats: 27,635 petition signers, 89 total leaders, 16 district captains, 11 events held in 2023.
Massachusetts gave testimony on the COS Resolution in a committee hearing on January 16th, the resolution passed out of the committee a few weeks later. Massachusetts is busy preparing for their surge day on April 16th, and will also be participating in the National Day of Prayer event in Plymouth on May 2nd. The team had great success with their first big table event held on February 9th through the 11th. The team is also preparing for two block walking events set to take place on May 11th and June 1st.
New Hampshire
Quick stats: 12,480 petition signers, 47 total leaders, 5 district captains, 6 events held in 2023.
New Hampshire successfully stopped an Article V recession effort based on false information. Over the next months, the team will be meeting with their Senators, as they hope to introduce the COS Resolution in the Senate soon. In 2023 New Hampshire had 12 events scheduled, but six of them were rained out, nevertheless, the team persevered. There are 10 events scheduled so far for 2024, ranging from gun shows, market days, an airshow, and a Constitution Day event. The team is actively recruiting volunteers and working on starting town hall meetings.
Rhode Island
Quick stats: 4,400 petition signers, 23 total leaders, 1 district captain, 12 events held in the second half of 2023.
Rhode Island hosts a monthly meeting in Warwick and recently added a second recurring local meeting in Warren. The team gave testimony in committee on February 6th, coming together with only three days' notice to attend the hearing, and they gave incredible testimony. Rhode Island is working on recruiting volunteers and training the team. Rhode Island is scheduled for their surge day on April 11th.
Vermont
Quick stats: 4,254 petition signers, 22 total leaders, 2 district captains, 14 events held in the second half of 2023.
The carry-over COS legislation from previous years might be heard this year. The team is busy building relationships with their legislators through letters and phone calls. Vermont had a strong showing at the Lamoille Valley Fish and Game Club gun show on March 16th and 17th. Vermont's Veterans Coalition leader Gerald Malloy is running for state office this year. Team members attended their local town meeting day on March 5th, to spread the word about COS. The team had an open call March 11th, which allowed attendees the opportunity to learn more about COS. Like Rhode Island, the team is working on recruiting volunteers and training the team.
New York
Quick stats: 79,583 petition signers, 181 total leaders, 19 district captains, 40 events held in 2023.
New York's surge day is scheduled for March 26th, boasting a packed agenda featuring 28 appointments with legislators. Beyond this, the calendar is brimming with ten other events this year, the most exciting of which is the Syracuse Nationals Car Show on July 19th through the 21st, which draws thousands of attendees from across the nation. Moreover, the team has found 27 legislators in the Assembly, and six legislators in the Senate willing to potentially sponsor or co-sponsor the resolution.
Special thanks to Regional Director Haley Shaw and State Directors/leaders: Bevin Corbin (ME), Jane LaBorde (MA), Linda Curran (NH), Cyndi Franco (RI & VT), Maureen Zollo (CT), and Silver Dreaming Wolf (NY). Thank you for all you and your teams do!
