Title: RD Pocket Guide Image Original CoS Document (slug): [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/rd-pocket-guide-image|rd-pocket-guide-image]] Login Required to view? No Attached File: pocket_guide_digital.pdf Updated June 22, 2021 Created: 2020-11-11 16:25:17 Updated: 2021-11-11 19:00:00 Published: 2020-11-11 00:00:00 Converted: 2025-04-14T19:58:18.004893471 ---- {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto001.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **Pocket Guide** **ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES** The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for  We the People to Secure America’s Future {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto002.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **Pocket Guide** //The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for // //We the People to Secure America’s Future// [[https://shopconventionofstates.com/collections/pocket-guides|**PURCHASE A PHYSICAL COPY**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto003.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** //A special message from COSA President Mark Meckler// //Find out what the Founders had to say about COS// //Why Washington won’t let go of power// //Endorsements from notable leaders// //Find the information you need quickly// //Cut through the misinformation - get the facts here// //See the text of the Convention of States application// //Potential amendments to be debated at the convention// //What happened at the historic convention simulation?// //The organization and growing grassroots movement// //What you can do to get involved// //Read and sign the petition to show your support// CONTENTS   [[files_10933_pdfto.html#4|01    Who Decides?]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|04      Article V of the U.S. Constitution]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#9|06    The Problem]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#14|11      Support for a Convention of States]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#21|18      Answers to Common Questions]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|23      Overcoming Objections From the Opposition]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|29      Convention of States Model Application]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#33|30      Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|32      Convention of States Simulation]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#37|34      About Convention of States Action (COSA)]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#39|36      Get Involved in Making History]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#42|40      Convention of States Petition]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto004.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **01** **Who ** **Decides?** **A MESSAGE FROM COSA ** **PRESIDENT MARK MECKLER** Who Decides? Who gets to decide what’s best for you and your family? Should you have the power to decide? Or should some out-of-touch bureaucrat in Washington,  D.C., have the power to decide? It’s time we shift the national conversation away from  what government should do to “fix” our problems. It’s time  we decide for ourselves whether the federal government  should be involved at all in matters that affect us personally. No matter the political issue of the day, the establishment  in Washington loves to deliberate on what //they// will do.  They want the American people to ponder, “What will  they decide?”  What will Congress decide about health care? Taxes?  Education? Fiscal responsibility? {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto005.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **02** [[https://conventionofstates.com/press|//Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action//]] Instead of focusing on the better question:  //**Who**// should decide? Should the government decide what to do about your  health care, or should you and your doctor decide? Should  D.C. bureaucrats decide what to do about education, or  should you, your spouse, and your children’s teachers  decide? Should nine Supreme Court Justices decide what  constitutes a marriage, or should you, your community, and  your state decide? If you’re anything like me, the answer is obvious. It’s the same  answer our Founding Fathers gave when they drafted the  Constitution: we the people should decide, not some far-off,  disconnected government run by out-of-touch elites. {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto006.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **03** The truth is the Washington establishment will never, //ever//  limit its own power. We just can’t rely on the politicians who  got us into this mess to get us out of it. We need a solution that will let us go around the  Washington political establishment and rein in the out-of- control federal government, //permanently//. Here at Convention of States Action, we are implementing  the solution with the help of a vast family of grassroots  patriots just like you. This solution was hidden in plain sight in Article V of the  Constitution, and it’s our best and last chance to take  the power back from the out-of-control politicians in  Washington and safeguard our liberty once and for all. The booklet you hold in your hands contains our Founding  Fathers’ antidote and cure for what ails our country. Take it, read it, and use it as you talk with your friends  and family members about this constitutional solution to  restore our great nation.\\ Yours in the fight, Mark Meckler President Convention of States Action {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto007.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **04** Article V of the Constitution of the United States reads as  follows:   “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both    Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose    Amendments to this Constitution,  **or, on the ** ** ** **Application of the Legislatures of two ** ** ** **thirds of the several States, shall call a ** ** ** **Convention for proposing Amendments, ** ** ** **which, in either Case, shall be valid to all ** ** ** **Intents and Purposes, as Part of this ** ** ** **Constitution, when ratified by the ** ** ** **Legislatures of three fourths of the ** ** ** **several States,** or by Conventions in three    fourths thereof, as the one or the other    Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the    Congress; Provided that no Amendment    which may be made prior to the Year One    thousand eight hundred and eight shall in    any Manner affect the first and fourth    Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first    Article; and that no State, without its    Consent, shall be deprived of its equal    Suffrage in the Senate.” Article V of the U.S. Constitution **Article V** **OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION** {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto008.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **05** The history of Article V from the 1787 Convention: “On  September 15, as the Convention was reviewing the  revisions made by the Committee of Style, George Mason  expressed opposition to the provisions limiting the power  to propose amendments to Congress. According to the  Convention records, Mason thought that ‘no Amendment  of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people,  if the Government should become oppressive, as he verily  believed would be the case.’ In response, Gouverneur  Morris and Elbridge Gerry made a motion to amend the  article to reintroduce language requiring that a convention  be called when two-thirds of the States applied for an  [[https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/generic-35549D285728.pdf|amendment.” [30 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy ]] [[https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/generic-35549D285728.pdf|1005, 1007 (2007)]]] Thank God that the Founders were wise enough to give us  the second clause of Article V. Their decision was unanimous.  The Framers had very little debate about this—and they  debated almost everything—because they knew human  nature. They had experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical  government. They foresaw a time in the future when such a  mechanism would be necessary. Now is that time. **05** [[https://conventionofstates.com/news/george-mason-of-the-first-order-of-greatness|//George Mason, Founding Father//]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto009.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **06** **The Problem** **WHY A CONVENTION** **OF STATES?** Washington, D.C., will never voluntarily relinquish its  own power, no matter who is elected. The only rational  [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|conclusion is this: unless some political force outside ]] of Washington, D.[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|C., intervenes, the ]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|federal government will continue to ]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|bankrupt this nation, embezzle the ]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|legitimate authority of the states, ]] and destr[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|oy the liberty of the ]] people. R[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|ather than securing ]] the blessings of liberty  for future generations,  Washington, D.[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|C., is on a ]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|path that will enslave our ]] children and grandchildr[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|en ]] to the debts of the past. W[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|e see four major abuses ]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|against the people by the ]] federal government. T[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|hese ]] abuses are not mer[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|e instances ]] of bad policy. T[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|he federal government has been ]] subjecting us to “[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|soft tyranny” in which the government ]] does not (yet) shatter all men’s wills but regularly  [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|//Alexis de Tocqueville,//]] [[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|//French Historian//]] The Problem {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto010.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **07** “softens, bends, and guides” them. If we do nothing to  halt these abuses, we run the risk of becoming nothing  more than “a flock of timid and industrious animals,  of which the government is the shepherd.” (Alexis de  Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1840) **3.1 - The Spending and Debt Crisis** [[https://usdebtclock.org/|America’s national debt numbers in tens of trillions of ]] [[https://usdebtclock.org/|dollars]], but it only tells a part of the story. Under standard  accounting practices, the federal government actually  owes well over $100 trillion more in vested Social Security  benefits and other programs. The government cannot tax  its way out of debt. Even if the government taxed at 100  [[https://usdebtclock.org/|//Even if the government taxed //]] [[https://usdebtclock.org/|//at 100 percent and confiscated //]] [[https://usdebtclock.org/|//everything, it wouldn’t cover the //]] [[https://usdebtclock.org/|//mountain of debt that we have //]] [[https://usdebtclock.org/|//already accumulated!//]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto011.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **08** percent and confiscated everything, it wouldn’t cover the  mountain of debt that we have already accumulated! **3.2 - The Regulatory Crisis** The federal bureaucracy has placed a regulatory burden upon  businesses that is complex, conflicted, and crushing. Little  accountability exists when agencies—rather than Congress— enact the real substance of the law[[https://cei.org/publication/the-cost-of-regulation-and-intervention/|. Current research ]] [[https://cei.org/publication/the-cost-of-regulation-and-intervention/|shows the annual cost of compliance at about $2 trillion, ]] roughly equal to all income and corporate taxes combined!  Worse, the growth-killing effects of regulation have shrunk  economic growth by 25 percent, or $4 trillion per year. **3.3 - Congressional Attacks on State Sovereignty** For years, Congress has been using federal grants to  keep the states under its control. Combining these grants  with federal mandates (which are rarely fully funded),  Congress has turned state legislatures into their regional  agencies rather than respecting them as truly independent  republican governments. A radical social agenda and an invasion of the rights of  the people accompany all of this. While significant efforts  //Congress has turned state legislatures into their // //regional agencies rather than respecting them as truly // //independent republican governments.// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto012.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **09** have been made to combat this social erosion, these trends  defy some of the most important founding principles of  federalism and self-governance. **3.4 - Federal Takeover of the Decision-Making Process** The Founders believed that the structures of a limited  government would provide the greatest protection of  liberty. Not only were there to be checks and balances  between the branches of the federal government, power  was to be delineated between the states and federal  government. The latter was to exercise only those “few and  defined” powers specifically granted in the Constitution,  while the states’ powers were left “broad and undefined.” Collusion among decision-makers in Washington, D.C., has  replaced these checks and balances. The federal judiciary  supports Congress and the White House in their ever- escalating attack upon the jurisdiction of the 50 states. We need to realize that the structure of decision-making  matters. Who decides what the law will be is even more  important than what is decided. The protection of liberty  requires a strict adherence to the principle that the power  of the federal government is limited and enumerated.  Washington, D.C., does not believe this principle, as  evidenced by an unbroken practice of expanding the  boundaries of federal power. {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto013.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **10** The problems are big, but we have a solution as big as  those problems. Article V gives us the tool the Founders  intended for us to use to fix the mess in D.C. Article V of the Constitution is our best chance – and our  last chance – to take the power back from the out-of- control politicians and bureaucrats in Washington and  safeguard our liberty once and for all. And when the Convention of States convenes, Congress  and the Washington bureaucracy will be powerless to stop it. //We need to realize that the // //structure of decision-making // //matters. Who decides what // //the law will be is even// //more important than// //what is decided.// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto014.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **11** **Support** **FOR A CONVENTION OF STATES** Support for a Convention of States //“I have wholeheartedly endorsed the Convention of States // //Project. I serve on its Legal Board of Reference because they // //propose a solution as big as the problem.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Mark**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Levin**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Gov. Ron\\ DeSantis\\ **]]//“The permanent bureaucracy will never voluntarily give up an // //ounce of its power.…I encourage all other state legislatures // //to support the Convention of States Project and pass the // //resolution today.”// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto015.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **12** //“We have to hem in the power of Congress and, in many cases, // //the power of the Executive, before it is too late. Can you // //imagine the looks on the faces of politicians when they realize // //they are now legally barred from controlling your life and they // //can’t just live in those offices forever? Calling a Convention // //of States is the only way to get the job done. Sign the petition // //and get involved. It’s an important cause.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Ben \\ Shapiro**]] //“There’s a solution in our Constitution. We have the power to call // //a Convention of States to restrain the size, the power, the scope, // //and the jurisdiction of the federal government. If you’re serious // //about saving the nation, this is the best way to do it. Join the // //constitutional revolution with Convention of States Project.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Sean **]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Hannity**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto016.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **13** //“Thank goodness the Founders had the wisdom to provide us // //with Article V of the Constitution, which gives us the right and // //power to hold an Amending Convention for the purpose of // //proposing amendments to restrain the scope and power of the // //federal government... Under the system of federalism, I support // //the efforts to gather a constitutional Convention of States // //consistent with Article V and honoring the 10th Amendment.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Lt. Col. **]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Allen West**]] //“The leviathan of today’s federal government continues to // //grow unabated, pushing the people further away from our // //Founder’s vision of self-governance. The Convention of States // //Project is the only constitutional pathway for citizens to save // //our Republic by restoring it to her citizens. Article V of our // //Constitution underscores the duty of active citizenship and I // //am proud to stand with millions of volunteers in this effort.” // [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Pete \\ Hegseth**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto017.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **14** //“I encourage every American to visit www.conventionofstates.com // //and add your name to a growing list of citizens calling for a return // //of federal power back to the states. Let us raise our collective // //voices and challenge the entrenched powers in Washington by // //finally, and for the first time, calling for a Convention of States.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Dr. James \\ Dobson**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Senator**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Rand Paul**]] //“I support the Convention of States Project to restore the // //original constitutional limits on federal power by calling a // //limited Convention to propose amendments to rein in our out-// //of-control federal government.”// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto018.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **15** //“Americans are sick and tired of the double-talk coming out of // //Washington. So am I. After serving in the House, the Senate, // //and as President of the Heritage Foundation, I’ve finally // //realized the most important truth of our time: Washington, // //D.C., will never fix itself. Article V is the only solution.”// //“I support an Article V Convention of the States. It is time // //for states to go on the offensive to limit the overreach of // //the federal government... I urge you to support all of the // //Constitution, and thus the efforts of the Convention of // //States to pass their extremely well-thought-out and strategic // //legislation in your home state and thus join us in a call to // //restore our constitutional republic.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**(Ret.) Sen. **]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Jim DeMint**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**David \\ Barton**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto019.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **16** //“Only a Convention of States will give us effective solutions // //to the abuse of power in Washington, D.C. It is our moral // //obligation to protect liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”// //“The Founding Fathers gave us a foolproof way to rein in // //an over reaching federal government in Article V. If young // //conservatives want to take back our country, they will join me // //in supporting the Convention of States Project. A Convention // //of States is the only constitutional way to limit the power and // //jurisdiction of the federal government and anyone who wants // //to give power back to the people will support this growing // //movement. After all, as we always say at Turning Point, ‘Big // //Government Sucks,’ and it’s not going to shrink itself.”// [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Charlie \\ Kirk**]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Michael **]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Farris**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto020.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **17** **OTHER NOTABLE SUPPORTERS** •  Sheriff David Clarke •  Lt. Col. Bill Cowan •  Ken Cuccinelli •  Rep. Jeff Duncan •  Sen. Ron Johnson •  Andrew McCarthy •  Gov. Sarah Palin •  Thomas Sowell •  Mat Staver •  Steve Hilton •  Gov. Greg Abbott •  Judge Andrew Napolitano •  James O’Keefe •  Sen. Ben Sasse •  Pete Coors •  Steve Deace •  Rep. Mark Meadows •  David Horowitz •  Lawrence Jones •  Sen. Marco Rubio •  Dr. Ben Carson •  Gov. Mike Huckabee •  Gov. Jeb Bush •  Sen. Jim Talent •  Gov. Bobby Jindal •  Rep. Louie Gohmert •  Morton Blackwell •  Randy E. Barnett •  Charles J. Cooper •  Dr. John C. Eastman •  Robert P. George •  C. Boyden Gray •  Cal Thomas **17** {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto021.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **18** **Answers** **TO COMMON QUESTIONS** **6.1 - Why Do We Need to Call a Convention of ** **States?** Washington, D.C., is broken. The federal government is  spending this country into the ground, seizing power from  the states and taking liberty from the people. It’s time  for we the people to take a stand against tyranny with a  coordinated, nationwide effort to curb the unrestrained and  growing power of the federal government. The Founders  gave us this emergency tool to fix Washington, D.C. We  must use it before it is too late. Even when good people  go to D.C. as elected officials, they lack the power to fix  the structural problems now destroying our country. No  change in personnel can fix a structural problem. Only a  Convention of States has the power to repair the damage  and halt the federal government from eroding the liberties  of the sovereign citizens further. **6.2 - What is a Convention of States?** A Convention of States is a convention called by the state  legislatures for the purpose of proposing amendments to  the Constitution. They are given power to do this under  Article V of the C[[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|onstitution (see text, page 4). I]]t is  Answers to Common Questions {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto022.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **19** not a constitutional convention. It cannot throw out the  Constitution, because it receives its authority from the  Constitution. A Convention of States can only propose  amendments that fit within the topic of the applications  adopted by the state legislatures. So, for example, a  Convention that is called to limit the power of the federal  government could not propose an amendment to reduce  our rights and expand federal power.    **6.3 - How Do the State Legislatures Call a ** **Convention of States?** Thirty-four state legislatures must pass a resolution in each  chamber of their legislatures (called an “application”) calling  for a Convention of States. The Convention of States  application does not need to be signed by the Governor  to be effective. As soon as both chambers of the state  legislature pass the application, that state becomes one of  the required 34 states calling for a Convention. In order for  the applications to be aggregated (counted together towards  the 34-state threshold), they must all cover the same topic  or set of topics for a C[[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|onvention. The Convention of States ]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|model application is included on page 29]]. **6.4 - Can Congress Block a Convention of ** **States?**   No. As long as each of the 34 states applies for a  Convention that deals with the same issue (e.g., limiting  the power and jurisdiction of the federal government),  Congress must call the Convention. Congress’s ministerial  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto023.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **20** duty is to name the place and the time for the Convention.  If it fails to exercise this power reasonably, the states  themselves can and will override congressional inaction. **6.5 - How Do States Choose Their Delegates?** States are free to develop their own selection process for  choosing their delegates – properly called “commissioners.”  Historically, the most common method used was an  election by a joint session of both chambers of the state  legislature. This is true federalism in action. Each state has  the power to choose its own commissioners in its own way. **6.6 - What Happens at a Convention of States?** Each state’s delegation participates in discussing, drafting,  and voting on amendment proposals germane to the  topic(s) stated in the 34 applications that triggered the  C[[https://i2i.org/trying-to-abolishing-the-conventions-one-stateone-vote-rule-not-only-would-be-unconstitutional-it-wouldnt-be-worth-trying/|onvention. According to historical precedent, each state ]] //Each state has the power to // //choose its own commissioners // //in its own way.// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto024.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **21** [[https://i2i.org/trying-to-abolishing-the-conventions-one-stateone-vote-rule-not-only-would-be-unconstitutional-it-wouldnt-be-worth-trying/|has one vote at the convention.]] Amendments sent to the  states are merely suggestions,  and have no authority until  ratified by the states.  **6.7 - How are Proposed Amendments Ratified?** Thirty-eight states must ratify any proposed amendments  before they become part of the Constitution. Each  proposed amendment is ratified separately by the states  even if proposed as a package (like the Bill of Rights).  Ratification may be done by state legislatures or by state  ratification conventions, which represent the people  more directly. Historically, ratification has been by state  legislatures, with the exception of the Twenty-First  Amendment, which was ratified by state conventions.   **6.8 - How Do We Know How a Convention of ** **States Will Work?** [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|Interstate conventions were common during the Founding ]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|era, and the procedures and rules for such conventions ]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|were widely known. Additionally]], there have been many  interstate conventions since the Founding era, all operating  on similar rules. We can know how a Convention of  States would operate by studying the historical record.  The r[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|ecent Convention of States Simulation (held in ]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|Williamsburg, Virginia, in September of 2016)]] proved that  these well-established procedures would be followed by  any Convention of S[[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|tates held today (see page 32 for a ]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|summary of that event).]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto025.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|**22**]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//Interstate conventions were common during //]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//the Founding era, and the procedures and //]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//rules for such conventions were widely known.//]] **6.9 - Is a Convention of States Safe?** Yes. The convention’s authority is limited to that conferred  upon it by the state legislatures. Furthermore, the  ratification process ensures that amendments that do  not reflect the desires of the American people will not be  [[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|passed. (Read more detailed responses to specific objections ]] [[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|to a Convention of States on page 23 of this booklet.]]) [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|**22**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto026.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **23** **Overcoming ** **Objections\\ FROM THE OPPOSITION** **Objection 1: What happens if a Convention of ** **States becomes a “runaway convention” and ** **takes away our hard-won liberties?** Answer: Despite a common myth promoted by some  groups beginning in the 1960s, there is absolutely no  precedent for a “runaway convention.” [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|There have been ]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|at least 38 multi-state conventions in American history ]] [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|and not a single one has “run away.”]]   Our Founders were masters of checks and balances, and  they put numerous safeguards in place to ensure that a  Convention would never run away. The most important  of these safeguards is the requirement that 38 states  ratify any proposal coming out of the Convention  before any change is made to the Constitution. It is  politically impossible for any change to be made to our  Constitution that does not enjoy the overwhelming  support of the American people. As respected  Overcoming Objections From the Opposition {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto027.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **24** constitutional scholar Professor Robert Natelson has  pointed out, “There are far more checks on a runaway  convention than on a runaway Congress.” **Objection 2: Didn’t the original Constitutional ** **Convention run away?** Answer: No, this is another myth that has been spread  to justify judicial activism and other unconstitutional  changes to our system of government. The entire claim  that the Constitutional Convention ran away is based  on the false idea that Congress called the Constitutional  Convention for the sole purpose of amending the Articles  of Confederation. But that’s not true. In fact, under the  Articles of Confederation, Congress had no authority to  [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/defying-conventional-wisdom-the-constitution-was-not-the-product-of-a-runaway-convention-by-michael-farris-1/download|call a convention. If you look at the historical records]], it was  actually Virginia that called the Constitutional Convention  in October 1786. Virginia called the Convention for  the purpose of “render[ing] the Federal Constitution  [system of government] adequate to the Exigencies of the  Union,” an instruction that certainly included proposing  //Our Founders were masters of checks and balances, // //and they put numerous safeguards in place to // //ensure that a convention would never run away. // {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto028.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|**25**]] a new Constitution. Congress didn’t enter the picture  until months later when, in February 1787, it passed  a resolution recommending that the Convention only  amend the Articles of Confederation. In the end, all but  two of the states attending the Convention (New York  and Massachusetts) ignored Congress’s non-binding  recommendation and gave their delegates instructions  broad enough to allow them to propose a new Constitution.    **Objection 3: I like our Constitution the way it ** **is—short, simple, and fairly easy to understand. ** **Why should we change it?** Answer: While many Americans now own a “Pocket  Constitution,” the truth is that the Constitution we live by  today—the supreme law of the land governing all American  [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//The Constitution we live by //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//today—the supreme law of the //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//land governing all American //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//citizens and states—actually fills a //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//book weighing nearly ten pounds //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//and running over 2,700 pages! //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|**25**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto029.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **26** [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|citizens and states—actually fills a book weighing nearly ten ]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|pounds and running over 2,700 pages!  T]]hat’s because for  more than a century, a “runaway constitutional convention”  has been going on in the Supreme Court. [[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|The results are ]] [[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|printed by our federal government in The Constitution of ]] [[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|the United States Annotated Edition. E]]verything from  abortion to same-sex marriage to ObamaCare and more  are now “the law of the land.” An Article V Convention,  which the Framers provided, is the only way to rein in our  activist judiciary, reduce the size of the federal government,  and restore our Constitution back to its original pocket size  and its original intent.   **Objection 4: The Constitution isn’t the ** **problem. The problem is federal officials. How ** **will amending the Constitution help?** Answer: Most of the problems our country is facing are  the result of constitutional interpretations that capitalize  on ambiguities in the wording of certain phrases (e.g., the  General Welfare Clause being interpreted as unlimited  power to spend). We can restore the federal government  to its proper, limited place only by clarifying the original  meaning of those phrases through constitutional  amendments—effectively overturning the bad Supreme  Court precedents that have eviscerated our federal system. Unfortunately, due to manipulation and expansion of federal  government power by the Supreme Court, we the people  must use a convention to put the federal government back  into the constitutional box originally created by the Founders. {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto030.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **27** **Objection 5: Article V says Congress “calls” the ** **Convention. Doesn’t this mean Congress will ** **control the Convention?** Answer: No, Congress’s role is limited to issuing the “call”  which sets the date, time, and location of the meeting once  it receives 34 applications for a Convention on the same  topic. In legal terms, this is referred to as a “ministerial” role.  In this role, Congress is acting in a limited administrative  capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority beyond  that, including no control over the delegates. ** ** **Objection 6: At a time of extreme ** **gerrymandering and in an environment of ** **unlimited political spending, wouldn’t a ** **Convention of States open up the Constitution ** **and our system of government to being rewritten ** **by special interest groups and the wealthy?** //Congress is acting in a limited administrative // //capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority // //beyond that, including no control over the delegates.// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto031.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **28** Answer: No. Over 400 applications for a Convention  of States have been filed, but we have never had one  because there have never been 34 applications seeking  a Convention for the same purpose. This demonstrates  that the purpose or scope specified in the applications  does matter. States can instruct their respective delegates  to entertain a narrower scope than what is within the  aggregated application, but they cannot broaden the topic  beyond that identified in the 34 passed applications. **Objection 7: Why is the opposition to a ** **Convention of States issuing dire warnings ** **about its potential for national disaster?** Answer: Nearly all opposition comes from the hard left, as  was revealed in April of 2017. Led by the George Soros- funded Common Cause, a coalition of radically anti- constitutional activist groups united in their opposition to  this constitutional solution. [[https://conventionofstates.com/news/an-article-v-convention-is-closer-than-anyone-realizes-anti-article-v-groups-ramp-up-attacks|The nearly 250 signers]] include  the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, Greenpeace, La Raza,  the NAACP, and Clinton-founded groups like MoveOn. org. These nearly 250 groups depend on a corrupt, runaway  federal government to preserve their power, fill their  coffers with taxpayer dollars, and advance their radical  agendas. This kind of organized opposition means one thing:  We are right above the target and they know it. These  organizations share one goal: Keep the disastrous status  quo of our federal government unchanged. A Convention  of States is the only way to stop them. {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto032.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **29** **Convention ** **of States** **MODEL APPLICATION** The COS application limits what can be proposed at a  Convention of States. The subject areas that can be considered at a Convention  of States are strictly limited to those specified in the official  applications submitted by all 34 (or more) states. Section 1  of the application for a Convention of States was carefully  worded to specify such limits. It reads: **Section 1.  The legislature of the State of                         ** **hereby applies to Congress, under the provisions of ** **Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the ** **calling of a Convention of the States limited to proposing ** **amendments to the Constitution of the United States that ** **impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit ** **the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and ** **limit the terms of office for its officials and for members ** **of Congress.** Any amendment submitted by the Convention of States  which goes beyond the scope plainly stated in Section 1  cannot be considered for ratification by the states. Convention of States Model Application {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto033.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **30** **Amendments** **TO CONSIDER AT A ** **CONVENTION OF STATES** At an Article V Convention of States, delegates will have the  opportunity to debate and pass amendments that could:  •  Limit Supreme Court Justices to nine members.  •  Prevent the addition of states without the affirmative  consent of three quarters of the existing states.  •  Require members of Congress to live under the same laws  they pass for the rest of us.  •  Impose term limits on members of Congress.  •  Require a balanced federal budget.  •  Impose limits on federal spending and/or taxation.  •  Get the federal government out of our healthcare system.  •  Get the federal government out of our education system.  •  Stop unelected federal bureaucrats from imposing regulations.  Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto034.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **31** •  Set term limits for Supreme Court Justices.  •  Set term limits for federal bureaucrats, ending the  dominance of the “swamp.”  •  Remove the authority of the federal government over  state energy policy.  •  Force the federal government to honor its commitment  to return federal lands to the states. At this Convention, delegates from the states will gather for  the sole purpose of proposing amendments that limit the  power, size, and spending of the federal government, and  impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress. //Delegates from the states will gather for the sole purpose // //of proposing amendments that limit the power, size, and // //spending of the federal government, and impose term // //limits on its officials and members of Congress.// **31** {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto035.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **32** **Convention ** **of States\\ SIMULATION** //“The events at Williamsburg will be remembered as a turning // //point in history. The spirit of liberty and self-governance has // //been reignited.” // – Michael Farris, Co-Founder, Convention of States Project [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|The first ever Convention of States Simulation convened in ]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, Sept. 21-23, 2016]]. One- hundred and thirty-seven commissioners representing  every state in the nation gathered together to undertake  this historic endeavor. The Convention operated flawlessly,  [[https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/conventionofstates/pages/6429/attachments/original/1474237364/simulation_rules_final3.pdf?|according to a set of rules drafted by Article V scholar ]] Prof. Rob Natelson and approved by the COS Caucus, the  largest state legislator caucus in America. [[https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/conventionofstates/pages/6429/attachments/original/1474994742/Final_Convention_Report_with_Votes.pdf?|The Convention passed amendment proposals on the ]] following six ideas: 1.  The public debt shall not be increased except upon a  super majority vote in Congress.  2.  Term limits on members of Congress.  Convention of States Simulation {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto036.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **33** 3. Limiting federal overreach by restoring the Commerce  Clause to its original meaning.  4. Limiting the power of federal regulations by allowing  for a congressional override.  5. Requiring a super majority of Congress to increase  federal taxes and repealing the 16th Amendment.  6. Giving the states (by a 3/5ths vote) the power to  abrogate any federal law, regulation, or executive order. If you want to know how an actual Convention of States  will operate, learn more about the simulated convention,  and watch video of the proceedings, go to  [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/cossim|//**www.conventionofstates.com/cossim.**//]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|//Learn more about the Simulated Convention of //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|//States by visiting conventionofstates.com/cossim//]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto037.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **34** **About** **CONVENTION OF STATES ** **ACTION (COSA)** Convention of States Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit  organization founded for the purpose of stopping the  runaway power of the federal government. We believe  Washington, D.C., is broken and will not fix itself. The  federal government is spending this country into the  ground, seizing power from the states, and taking liberty  from the people. We have a solution as big as the problem. COSA’s two-part plan is to urge and empower state  legislators to call a Convention of States. 1.  Article V requires that 34 states pass resolutions to  call a Convention of States on the same subject before  the meeting can be called. We are working with state  legislators around the country to call a Convention for  a specific subject: to impose fiscal restraints on the  federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of  the federal government, and limit the terms of office  for its officials and for members of Congress. About Convention of States Action (COSA) {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto038.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|**35**]] 2.  We believe grassroots support is the key to successfully  calling a Convention—and also the key to ensuring that  [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|good amendments get ratified. We are building a political ]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|operation in all 50 states, r]]ecruiting at least 100 citizens  in every state legislative district in the nation. **Contact information**  COS Action 5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A Houston, TX 77057 540-441-7227 [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//We believe grassroots support is the key to //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//successfully calling a Convention—and also the key //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//to ensuring that good amendments get ratified.//]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|**35**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto039.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **36** **Get Involved** **IN MAKING HISTORY** We always knew the statist ruling “elite” would one day  attack, but our growing success has forced them to act  faster than we anticipated. And you can be sure, those  attacks are just beginning. Today they are coming from the  radical left, but the assaults will expand to include every  person and organization in Washington, D.C., with a vested  interest in keeping power there. To ensure that we respond  effectively, we’re  focused on increasing  our grassroots army  to many millions of  Americans. You can be  a part of this historic  grassroots movement  by getting involved in  four unique ways. **12.1.  Sign & Send** First, photocopy and  sign the Convention of States petition on pages 40-41 of  this booklet and mail it to Convention of States Action,  5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057 and send  [[http://www.conventionofstates.com|your friends to www.conventionofstates.com to sign the]]  petition. Right now, we have over 5 million supporters, but  Get Involved in Making History [[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//Photocopy and sign the //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//Convention of States //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//petition on pages 40-41.//]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto040.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **37** we’re looking to more than double our citizen activist army  by the year’s end. If every supporter sends the petition to  five of their friends, we’ll hit that goal in no time. **12.2.  Volunteer** Volunteering is the easiest way to get involved in the fight  in your state. As a volunteer, your primary tasks will be  contacting your state legislators and asking that they support  the Convention of States resolution, spreading the word about  Article V to your friends and family, and attending legislative  meetings at your state capital. You can commit as much or  as little time as your schedule allows — we’re just excited to  welcome you aboard! For more information, visit:    [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action**]]**.** [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//Volunteering is the easiest way to get //]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//involved in the fight in your state. //]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto041.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **38** Our volunteer teams are another great way to become  involved. The Social Media Warriors spread the word online and  the State Follow-Up Team welcomes new volunteers. For more  [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|information, visit: ]] [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action**]]**.** **12.3.  Be a Leader** We have leadership positions to fit any skill set. Visit:   [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action** and apply to be a:]] •  State Director •  District Captain •  Coalition Director (e.g., Veterans, Young Americans)  •  State Videographer •  State Communications Coordinator •  Legislative Liaison •  Coalitions Director •  State Media Liaison •  State Tech Assistant/Manager •  State Content Writer •  State Grassroots Coordinator **12.4.  Spread the Word** Share this booklet with a friend, family member, or an  elected official. Visit us online for more information at: [[http://www.conventionofstates.com|www.conventionofstates.com]] [[http://fb.com/conventionofstates|fb.com/conventionofstates]] [[http://instagram.com/conventionofstates|instagram.com/conventionofstates]] [[http://twitter.com/COSProject|twitter.com/COSProject]] (540) 441-7227 (to request a speaker) {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto042.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **39** **Convention ** **of States\\ PETITION** Convention of States Petition Make photocopies of this form for you and others to sign.  Mail signed copies to Convention of States Action, 5850  San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057. If you prefer  [[files_10933_pdfto.html#43|to sign online, click the link on the next page]]. //Almost everyone knows that our federal government is on a // //dangerous course. The unsustainable debt combined with crushing // //regulations on states and businesses is a recipe for disaster.// //What is less known is that the Founders gave state legislatures // //the power to act as a final check on abuses of power by // //Washington, DC. Article V of the U.S. Constitution authorizes // //the state legislatures to call a Convention for proposing needed // //amendments to the Constitution. This process does not require // //the consent of the federal government in Washington, DC.// //I support the Convention of States Project; a national effort to call // //a Convention under Article V of the United States Constitution, // //restricted to proposing amendments that will impose fiscal restraints // //on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and // //impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.// {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto043.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} **CONVENTION OF STATES** **40** //I want our state to be one of the necessary 34 states to pass // //a resolution calling for this kind of Article V Convention. You // //can find a copy of the model resolution and the Handbook // //for Legislators and Citizens (which explains the process and // //answers many questions) here: // [[https://conventionofstates.com/handbook_pdf|//**https:%%//%%conventionofstates.**//]] [[https://conventionofstates.com/handbook_pdf|//**com/handbook_pdf**//]] // // //I ask that you support the Convention of States Project and // //consider becoming a co-sponsor of the resolution. Please // //respond to my request by informing the national COS team of // //your position, or sending them any questions you may have:// [[mailto:info%40conventionofstates.com?subject=|//**info@conventionofstates.com**//]]// or **(540) 441-7227**.// //Thank you so much for your service to the people of our district.// Respectfully, [[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|**CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION**]] {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_10933_pdfto044.png?nolink&432x594 |background image}} [[http://www.conventionofstates.com|**WWW.CONVENTIONOFSTATES.COM**]] ====== Document Outline ====== * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#4|Who Decides?]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|Article V of the U.S. Constitution]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#9|The Problem]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#14|Support for a Convention of States]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#21|Answers to Common Questions]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|Overcoming Objections From the Opposition]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|Convention of States Model Application]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#33|Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|Convention of States Simulation]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#37|About Convention of States Action (COSA)]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#39|Get Involved in Making History]] * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#42|Convention of States Petition]] ----