Even if Biden and Democrats win in November, the United States is still not safe.
Republicans have put their “states’ rights” strategy, and the injustices that have followed, on a crash course with the constitutional protections that Americans have enjoyed for nearly 250 years.
For decades Republicans on the right have been pushing for a constitutional convention. Now they are making their move.
Article V of the Constitution allows for a Constitutional Convention to be called when two-thirds of the states ratify a request. An affirmative vote of three-quarters of the states is required pass any changes to our Constitution at that convention.[1]
The right-wing Convention of States has proposed a Constitutional Convention to “limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, impose fiscal restraints, and place term limits on federal officials” by returning power to the states.[2]
And they are making progress.
According to the Convention of States Action website, nineteen states have passed their resolution to call a Constitutional Convention:[3]
· Georgia, Alaska, Florida (2014),
· Alabama (2015),
· Tennessee, Oklahoma, Indiana, Louisiana (2016),
· Arizona, North Dakota, Texas, Missouri (2017),
· Arkansas, Utah, Mississippi (2019), and
· Wisconsin, West Virginia, Nebraska, South Carolina (2022).
States where this resolution has passed one chamber but not both: New Mexico, Iowa, South Dakota, Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Wyoming.
States actively considering this resolution in 2024: Pennsylvania, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.
But what does it mean? (Coming in Part 2)
[1] https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artV-1/ALDE_00000507/#:~:text=6U.S.%20Const.-,art.,Amendments.%20.%20..%20).
[3] https://conventionofstates.com/states-that-have-passed-the-convention-of-states-article-v-application
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