Title: Legislative Handout Color
Original CoS Document (slug): legislative-handout-color
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Attached File: Legislator_Handout_Color.pdf
Created: 2024-12-13 15:08:04
Updated: 2024-12-13 15:08:51
Published: 2024-12-13 03:00:00
Converted: 2025-04-14T20:23:50.358865516
George Mason, for example, “verily believed”
that the federal government would become
“oppressive.” Once this happened, the people
and the states would need a process to keep
the federal government in check.
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, these
concerns led to the creation of the Article
V convention process, enabling the states to
forcibly rein in the federal government without
approval from Congress, the president, or
anyone else in Washington. As Alexander
Hamilton put it in Federalist No. 85, “national
rulers… will have no option upon the subject.”
The final version of Article V thus gives the same
power to propose constitutional amendments to
Congress and the state legislatures.
So, what exactly does an Article V conven-
tion entail? According to this neglected
constitutional provision, once “two thirds of
the several States” apply for a convention to
propose amendments, Congress “calls” the
convention by setting the time and date for
its initial meeting. Implicit in their power to
apply for the convention is the states’ power
to set its agenda, so two-thirds of the states
must agree on the subject matter.
In the case of the Convention of States
Action application, the topic of amendments
is limited to (1) imposing fiscal restraints
on the federal government, (2) limiting
its power and jurisdiction, and (3) setting
term limits for federal officials. Once the
convention is called, each state legislature
chooses and commissions delegates to
represent it at the convention. Delegates
act as the legal “agents” of their state
legislatures and are completely subject to
their instructions and control.
CONVENTION OF STATES
A SOLUTION AS BIG AS OUR FEDERAL PROBLEMS
TRY AS THEY DID TO ENSURE that the federal government would always remain
accountable to “We the People,” America’s Founding Fathers suspected that one day
this government of, by, and for the people would forget who it was created to serve.
Continued on back page
Bill No.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, a
convention cannot “rewrite the Constitution.”
Again, Article V merely gives the convention
the same power that Congress has: the power
to propose amendments.
Once a majority of the state delegations agree
to an amendment proposal, it goes back to the
states for ratification. Only after the proposal
crosses Article V’s 38-state ratification
threshold will the amendment take effect.
And there is nothing Washington can do to
stop it. From beginning to end, this process
is entirely in the hands of the American
people, through their state legislatures.
George Washington once advised, “If in the
opinion of the people, the distribution or
modification of the constitutional powers be
in any particular wrong, let it be corrected
by an amendment in the way which the
Constitution designates.”
Convention of States Action, the non-
partisan Article V grassroots movement,
believes our federal government has taken
on too much power–and according to
consistent national polling, two-thirds of
Americans agree with us! So we are hard
at work to use this long-neglected tool
to set things straight. With 19 of the 34
needed states already on board, we are
well on our way.
For more information, visit
ConventionofStates.com
George Washington
once advised,
“If in the opinion of the
people, the distribution
or modification of the
constitutional powers be
in any particular wrong,
let it be corrected by an
amendment in the way
which the Constitution
designates.”
For responses to common fears about the Article V
convention process, watch these short videos: