Wiki_QA__##

Title: LL Role Manual 2024

Original CoS Document (slug): ll-role-manual-2024

Login Required to view? No

Attached File: LL-manual-2024.pdf

LL 5/7/2

Created: 2024-05-08 01:22:47

Updated: 2024-05-08 01:22:52

Published: 2024-05-08 01:00:00

Converted: 2025-04-14T20:20:19.593098548

background image Legislative Liason: Training Manual

**Word of Welcome...........................................................................................................................0\\ ****Responsibilities...............................................................................................................................1\\ Article V Training.......................................................................................................................... 2**

**What to do when the legislature is not in session:.......................................................................7**

**Track the Legislation............................................................................................................... 7**

**Converting Opposed Legislators.................................................................................................. 9\\ ****Legislative Tracking Protocol..................................................................................................... 11\\ ****COS Surge.................................................................................................................................... 11**

**What is a Convention of States Surge?................................................................................12\\ How do I organize a COS Lobby Day?\\ Here are the steps:..................................................................................................................12\\ ****What to Do at the Event:.......................................................................................................13**

**Frequently Asked Questions....................................................................................................... 13\\ ****Payment Policy and Form........................................................................................................... 14**

**State Leaders Print Policy.....................................................................................................14\\ ****Legislator Packet Policy........................................................................................................ 15**

background image Word of Welcome
Congratulations on being selected as a Legislative Liaison (LL) for Convention of States (COS).
As a Legislative Liaison, your commitment to building valuable relationships is crucial to our
grassroots operation. Your work will help us work together to make a dynamic and effective
grassroots movement. In this document, we will walk you through your new position.

The mission of the Convention of States Project is to “Build an engaged army of self-governing
grassroots activists.”

We aim to grow a grassroots army large enough to call the first convention of states and drive the
political and cultural narrative across all 50 states. We want to see self-governance and liberty
flourish in our nation, and we believe this will only happen if good people like you get involved
in political and cultural battles. We want to train you how to do this as effectively as possible.

If we fail to pass the resolution one year, we will keep growing the grassroots team and training
more activists until we have enough influence to effect the change and pass the resolution. Every
additional person we educate, train, and get involved with is one person closer to victory! We
often say, “There is no political problem that more grassroots can’t fix.”

All of this is not done by one. It is a team effort. You will work closely with your State Director
and other team members within your state. Always keep in communication with your team. The
state team is in place to serve your needs and be successful.

In this manual, you will find a wealth of information to equip you to handle most situations. It is
not intended to be all that you need. Rather, it should give you basic guidelines and principles for
you to use. Some other sources of support and training you can use are:

1. COSU University. Specifically, there are three courses for Legislative Liaisons:

a. LL 100 - Legislative Liaison Leadership Training\\ b. LL 200 - How to Influence Your Legislator’\\ c. LL 300 - Mobilizing Grassroots for Legislative Success

2. Your State Team. There are likely many seasoned leaders on your state team, in addition

to your Regional Director, who can help answer questions and provide support, direction,
and mentorship as you grow into this role.

3. Our website. There is a vast amount of content you can look through on our website that

will give you ideas and inspiration regarding your role.

1

background image Responsibilities
As Legislative Liaison, you will be actively lobbying the state’s legislators to gain support for
our application and serve as the liaison between the legislators and the rest of our organization.
This will involve:

● Building relationships with the legislators and helping to earn their support to pass our

application for an Article V convention.

● Identifying and soliciting potential sponsors and cosponsors who will support our

Resolution.

● Connecting legislators with District Captains and grassroots supporters.

● Reporting progress to your State Director (and the COS national office) through our

Legislative Management System (LMS).

● Keep in close, regular contact with legislative sponsors and their staff during sessions so

that you can notify your state team and your Regional Director of any developments
about the COS resolution.

● Advising the rest of the state team promptly about which legislators need to receive more

phone calls, emails, and personal visits from their District Captains and grassroots
supporters in their districts.

● Devoting approximately 15–20 hours per month toward this project (will vary during the

legislative session).

Article V Training
As the Legislative Liaison for your state, you will often be on the front lines in answering
questions about the history and operation of Article V and responding to concerns or objections.
Therefore, you must be well-versed in Article V, the most common concerns and objections to
the Convention of States process, and how to respond to these objections.

To ensure that you are well-equipped for your role of Legislative Liaison, we urge you to review
our online educational resources. These will give you the essential information to
comprehensively understand the Article V process, which most legislators and citizens still need
to have. You will be well-versed and able to speak confidently with legislators and volunteers

2

background image who may have questions.

Additionally, your regional director and other national staff are always available to assist you in
finding the answers to any remaining questions you may have.

The Process and Your Role

“The Convention of States Project wants to use the provisions of Article V of the
Constitution to transfer the bulk of domestic authority from Washington, D.C., to the states.
While this is perceived as a conservative effort, it really should be viewed as nonpartisan on
ultimate questions of political philosophy. We have only one core agenda item—moving the
decisions on domestic issues to a more local level. This would allow for the implementation
of a variety of approaches rather than keeping us locked into a single approach dictated by
Washington, D.C.”

– Michael Farris,

Co-Founder - Convention of States Project

What to do when the legislature is not in session:

● Become familiar with the Legislative Calendar in Your State.

○ It is essential to know, early on, the critical dates in your legislature’s calendar,

including:

○ Starting date

Filing deadline

Crossover (the date by which legislation must be passed by one house to go to the
other house for consideration)

*Note: not every state has crossover deadlines; in some states, these
deadlines do not apply to resolutions. Consult your legislature’s rules, ask
your legislative sponsor, or ask Rita Peters, National Legislative Strategist,
about this if you aren’t sure.

● End of Sessions - You should be able to find an accurate calendar on your

legislature’s website.

3

background image Guidance and Navigating Your Role
As you begin legislative work in your state, you can gather valuable information from
experienced individuals and organizations that can help you gather information on legislators.
You can gather more information from lobbyists, staff members, and other influential people you
might want to work with. Also, Rita Peters, Vice President of Legislative Strategy, can help you
with background information on past progress or obstacles in your state. Your State and Regional
Directors may also be able to help you identify local organizations and lobbyists who can share
their insights on your state’s legislature.

Networking

1. Determine the likely committee assignment(s) for our Resolution. Your state and/or

regional director will know this from experience in most states. Knowing which
Committee(s) will hear the Resolution is essential to prioritizing legislative contacts and
grassroots activities. In some legislatures, a bill must pass multiple Committees before it
goes to the floor for a vote.

2. Prioritize your legislative contacts. Concentrate on leaders—Speaker of the House,

Senate President, party leaders, etc. Then, focus on members of the Committee(s) that
will hear our Resolution and legislators who are influential party caucus members, etc.

a. Gathering information about a legislator’s position on a resolution involves

research, communication, and relationship-building.

b. Look for past COS Votes (if your state has already considered our application). A

list of past votes on the COS Resolution will be available in the LMS.

c. General LMS Data. Even if a legislator has not voted on COS in the past, there

may be information about his/her position in LMS notes on past contacts, petition
responses, etc.

d. Recent, past votes on Article V Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) resolutions

or other Article V resolutions. Ask your Regional Director or Rita Peters if you
need help finding a source for this information. Be careful with this. Knowing
how a legislator votes on a resolution to hold an Article V Convention for a BBA
may tell you something about his or her position on Article V, but it’s not enough
for you to count the person as a “safe vote.”

3. Set up an appointment with legislators to meet with them to determine their positions and

ask for their support. You should ensure every legislator is personally approached,
provided with a copy of our resolution, and asked to support our legislative effort.

4. Determine who should make the initial contact. Ideally, this will come from a constituent

of the legislator. You may want to attend a face-to-face meeting with the constituent and
the legislator. We want the legislators to know that their constituents are actively
engaged. We recommend that the initial contact be made by:

a. A COS supporter with a strong personal connection

4

background image b. A District Captain
c. A COS volunteer in the district

5. As we actively engage with legislators to advocate for our resolution, we must ensure

thorough documentation of all interactions. Your diligence in recording and following up
on initial contacts will contribute significantly to the success of our mission.

a. Make a follow-up contact. Anytime you have made a contact, always follow up.

You may want to send them a “thank you for your meeting” card. Perhaps you
said you would get them some information; do this promptly. You could also
make a face-to-face follow-up appointment.

b. Gather as much information as possible from the initial contact person.
c. Call the legislator’s office and ask the staff member how familiar he/she is with

the COS project. Tell him/her that you would like to schedule an appointment to
discuss the matter and will send some background information in advance. Do not
overwhelm each staff member or legislator with too much information; send just
enough to make them interested in asking for more.

d. When you meet with the legislator, give him/her your business card and any other

printed material you think is appropriate. Ask whether he/she had an opportunity
to review the materials you provided earlier (this will help you gauge where to
begin your discussion). During the meeting, ask what concerns or objections the
legislators may have regarding supporting this issue and how we can address
these issues.

i.

Thank the legislator and staff for the meeting as you leave.

ii.

Send a follow-up email thanking the legislator again for his/her time, and
include a link to our Legislators’ Compendium.

iii.

Enter information about the legislator’s position into the LMS.

1. If the legislator opposes COS, be sure to find out WHY. The

strategy for converting him/her will depend upon whether he/she is
personally opposed (i.e., due to fears of a runaway convention or
belief that things are fine the way they are) or is opposed due to
pressure from grassroots opponents or organizations.

a. For Opposed Legislators, refer to Section 5 on how to

convert them.

b. For Supportive Legislators, ask District Captains or

grassroots supporters from their districts to approach them
about co-sponsorship. Find out how to obtain
co-sponsorship forms and have constituents take them to
the meeting with the legislator.

2. Don’t be shy. Ask the legislator for an official “endorsement” of

COS. This process will continue once the legislative session

5

background image begins, but you should gather as much information as possible
during the interim season.

Securing a Prime Sponsor
Choosing a prime sponsor is extremely important, so you should always discuss your
recommendation with the rest of your state team, the Regional Director, and our National
Legislative Leadership Team.

There are many factors to consider. Here is a list of recommended criteria in order of priority:

1. Committed to COS as the best Article V method
2. A member of the majority party
3. Be sure they are well-respected and in good standing with caucus and party leadership.
4. Try to find a member of the relevant committee.
5. Is their staff responsive and friendly? Never underestimate the importance of having a

good relationship with the legislator’s staff!

Always seek input from your State Director, Regional Director, and National Legislative
Strategist before asking a legislator to serve as your prime sponsor. They may have
additional information that is important to the decision.

Also, if you are in a purple state, you should try to secure a prime sponsor who is a member of
the majority party and a co-sponsor of the minority party.

Once the prime sponsor is secured, provide him/her with our sponsor training materials. Ask our
legislative strategist for the most updated packet of materials. This will ensure that our
legislative sponsors are equipped with the basic information they need to respond to questions
and objections they will face. Seek direction from the prime sponsor as to whom to approach as
co-sponsors and as to the desirability of having a prime sponsor in the other chamber.

Another reason to establish a good working relationship with the staff of your prime sponsor and
any co-sponsors is that regular communication is valuable in maintaining that relationship.

Work With Your State Team to Develop and Execute a State Strategy.
Meet with your other state leaders to develop a cohesive strategy for winning your state. This
strategy will focus on key legislative districts and mobilize grassroots volunteers in those
districts to achieve our goals.
Prioritize districts based on legislators holding leadership positions. Access the leaders and
members of the committees our Resolution will have to go through to make it to the floor.

6

background image Finally, identify influential legislators whose support can majorly impact the floor. It is also
essential to prioritize districts based on how supportive the legislature is. If a legislative leader
already supports COS, his district will be less critical than that of a committee chairman who is
on the fence.

Your primary job is not to win all the support needed to pass the resolution
single-handedly. Instead, you help the team gather and record information about the
legislators’ positions and assist district captains and volunteers in engaging their own
legislators for COS.

Encourage your District Captains to plan an annual field trip to the state Capital with supporters
from their district. You can demonstrate to them how they talk with their legislators to advocate
for the Convention of States and begin to establish a relationship with them. If you go with them,
you can let them watch you, and then you can watch them. This will give them confidence to do
the same with others in their district.

Be available to attend or speak at presentations in your state. You may be in the best position to
answer questions at events, and they may provide significant opportunities for you to interact
with legislators in their districts, surrounded by COS supporters.

What to do when the legislature is not in session:
Track the Legislation.

It is essential to find out when the resolution will be heard in committee, because this will be
the only opportunity for the state leaders and grassroots supporters to testify before the
legislators.

Your state team will look to you to alert them to the dates/times of hearings and votes on our
Resolution.

Determine the most reliable source for scheduling information. In some cases, it may be your
state legislature’s website. Other times, the sponsor’s or committee chairman’s staff may be more
reliable. Ideally, try to have at least two methods of gathering this data since one method may
have gaps.

● Update the Legislative Management System (LMS) regularly.

As the state Legislative Liaison, you will have access to the LMS, our incredible technological
system for tracking and recording all legislative information and information about your state
legislators, including contacts with them, their positions on COS, and strategy notes. One of your

7

background image most important responsibilities is ensuring this information stays current. Your Regional Director
will provide you with separate training on using the LMS.

● Communicate frequently with your state team.

● Alert the State Director to which committee members and key legislators oppose COS or

whose positions are unknown so they can know where to concentrate their efforts. When
legislation is moving forward, daily communication is necessary.

● Work to get COS on Caucus Agendas.

Each party in each house has regular meetings that are more informal than legislative hearings.
The House Republicans or the Senate Democrats, for example, will meet behind closed doors to
discuss important issues. These closed-door sessions provide an excellent platform for COS and
are an invaluable way to clarify our message. Please work with Rita Peters on scheduling a
headliner for these meetings.

Caucus meetings are prime opportunities to introduce legislators to the Article V process and
garner support, especially from those who have reservations. If you have questions about how to
get COS on the caucus agenda, ask your sponsor or a friendly legislator within the state. Our
Legislative Strategist will also provide some additional guidance.

● Organize Lobby Days/Rallies.

Work with your State Director, Regional Director, and prime sponsor to reserve meeting space
for a COS lobby day or Surge Day at the capitol. Refer to the “Lobby Day Kit” for more details.
These events are great opportunities to make legislators aware of the grassroots strength of COS
across the state and to show them the incredible energy and enthusiasm of our volunteers. You
will be provided materials to distribute to your legislators each year at these events to create what
we refer to as a “COS Surge.”

As with any successful event, this takes careful planning and coordination that must begin
months in advance. Please work with your State and Regional Directors to assist with the
planning.

Continue to Meet with Legislators.

For those whose position is unknown, schedule an appointment and continue to offer to
answer their questions. Ask them, “What would it take for us to get you on board?”

● Learn the Rules

8

background image ○ At the very beginning of the session, learn the Rules that are adopted to govern

the procedures in both legislative houses of your state.

●

Attend Committee Hearings and be Prepared to Speak.

○ As soon as a committee hearing is scheduled, notify our National Legislative

Strategist. Then, begin to find your “expert” witnesses who are willing and able to
testify. Inform the rest of the state team so that they can spread the word and
ensure a great turnout. Work with your SD and Grassroots Coordinator to get key
District Captains and other supporters prepared to testify, make calls, and send
emails. Your Regional Director will work with our Legislative Strategist to secure
any legal expert witnesses.

○ Make sure you know how the hearing will be run. Will supporters need to sign in?

What are the time limits for testimony? Talk to your sponsor about how he or she
would like the testimony to go, and then work with your SD and Grassroots
Coordinator to create a plan for your volunteers so that everyone doesn’t make the
same points.

● Prepare for Committee/Floor Votes

○ As soon as a vote is scheduled, inform the rest of the state team as well as the

Legislative Strategist so they can spread the word for the entire state’s grassroots
network to make calls, send emails and ensure victory!

Converting Opposed Legislators
It is helpful for you to understand why a particular legislator is opposed to COS. Generally
speaking, there are two reasons a legislator might be opposed: substance or politics.

The Opponent of Substance

Some legislators are opposed because they have bought into substantive arguments against our
application or against using Article V (i.e., the “runaway convention” myth, uncertainty about
the Article V process, etc.). In this case, the solution is to fashion persuasive arguments and
provide information that can change the legislator’s mind. Respond to these concerns by
providing good, accurate information in a respectful manner. Check out the online “Resource\\ Center” on our website. This contains a number of brief documents that cover the most common
objections. Provide the legislator with our “Legislator’s Compendium,” also available on our
website, which contains a wealth of scholarly information on Article V and responses to
common objections.

9

background image The Politically-Motivated Opponent

“In roughly 4,000 state legislative districts around the country, you need roughly 100 people
in each district to be willing to call their legislative representative and ask for a convention…
That’s not a high bar. I started to talk to reps all over the country, and they said, ‘We don’t get
100 calls on anything. If you can generate a hundred calls, then we’re going to be motivated to
at least take a serious look.’”

-Mark Meckler, President, Citizens for Self-Governance

Some legislators oppose our application due to political pressure. In this case, the key is to
effectively use grassroots pressure to convince the legislator that it will be politically beneficial
for him/her to support our application. In short, they need to hear from more COS supporters
and/or from more politically important COS supporters than they do from COS opponents.

Here is a list of 10 ideas for converting opposed legislators, including those who plan to oppose
our Resolution solely due to opposition from constituents:

● Use the Legislative Management System to find up-to-date information on the number of

petitions delivered to legislators. Use that number to get your foot in the door.

● Use Citizenbuilder to contact every COS volunteer in the legislator’s district and ask

them to call and email the legislator. Explain that this may be the most important thing
the volunteer can do to ensure COS's success in your state.

● Ask the District Captain (or another volunteer) from the legislator’s district to set up a

meeting between the District Captain, legislator, and an “expert” on COS from within
your state. If possible, attend this meeting with them.

● Ask the District Captain to help you identify a “friend” of the legislator to try to persuade

him/her.

● Review the legislator’s website and search public disclosure forms to find influential

donors or supporters who might help win the legislature. You can also contact Rita Peters
about working with the national office’s Development Department to do this.

● Work with your coalition director to get supportive organizations/individuals within the

district to assert pressure.

● Work through your Regional Director to schedule a phone call with one of the COS

headliners for a particularly influential member.

10

background image ● Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor, arguing for a COS and asking readers to contact

the legislator. Encourage the DC or volunteers to do likewise. Submit them to the
newspaper in the legislator’s district.

● Ask the State Director, Grassroots Coordinator, or District Captain to help organize a

COS event in the district and invite the legislator. Even if the legislator does not attend,
you will be winning his/her constituents and making allies.

● Find a COS-supportive lawyer in the district to meet with the legislator.

Legislative Tracking Protocol
One of the LLs' most important duties is tracking the resolution as it moves through the
legislative process and keeping your state team and our national office updated on the scheduling
of committee hearings and floor votes.

Rita Peters, our National Legislative Strategist, will be your primary point of contact with our
national office for this purpose. You can reach her at rpeters@cosaction.com or (540) 830-1229.

To help you develop a routine system for keeping on top of legislative developments, we have
devised the following protocol:

● Contact the sponsoring legislator and let him/her and his/her staff know that you should

be the first contact for any developments.

● Check your legislature’s website daily.

● Please be sure you are familiar with using the website, including finding out about

committee hearing dates and agendas, etc.

● At the beginning of the session, speak with a member of the sponsor’s staff to find out

how reliable the website is and how frequently it is updated. Unfortunately, some are
unreliable. If yours is in this category, you must make more frequent contacts with the
sponsor’s office.

● Check in with the sponsor or his/her staff weekly (if the website is fairly reliable) to

obtain updates, inquire as to where pressure may be needed, etc. Legislators are busy and
may forget to communicate information with you.

● Contact your State Director, Regional Director, AND Rita at COS immediately upon

learning of a hearing date, a problematic legislator, etc. This is essential for us to
effectively mobilize our grassroots in time to make a difference.

11

background image As a Legislative Liaison for your state, you have access to the Legislative Management System
(LMS). Separate training on this tool is available. Use this tool to manage legislative/legislator
information. Use https://coslms.com to log contacts with legislators.

COS Surge

Blueprint for a Convention of States Surge
What is a Convention of States Surge?

A COS Surge is an event organized in your state capitol to demonstrate grassroots support for the
Convention of States resolution pending in your state legislature. Some states will also include a
rally before the surge where grassroots supporters gather for a brief, motivational presentation by
a COS headliner and/or the state leadership team and then are provided with written talking
points and cards to leave with their legislators, asking them to support the resolution.

Why is it important to hold a Convention of States surge?

For many legislators, the decision of whether or not to support our resolution will come down to
whether they believe more of their constituents support or oppose the effort. When these
legislators find out that COS supporters have come in person to seek their support for the
resolution, they are likely to be motivated to support it.

What if the legislators are not available to speak with COS Supporters on Lobby Day?

Don’t be discouraged! The important thing is to leave the Lobby Day cards filled in with the
constituents’ names and addresses. This information WILL be recorded for the legislator to see,
so the effort is still absolutely worthwhile! Also, don’t underestimate the importance of visiting
with the legislators’ staff members. They are trained to pass on constituents’ concerns to the
legislators, and legislators often rely heavily on their staff’s impressions and recommendations in
deciding which positions to take.

How do I organize a COS Lobby Day?

Here are the steps:

● Reserve a suitable meeting location at the capitol, or ask the resolution sponsor (or a

member of their staff) to reserve a suitable room, preferably for a date and time when
they might be able to attend and say a few words about the importance of passing the
resolution.

12

background image ● Ask your SD and Grassroots Coordinator to notify all district captains and grassroots

supporters and impress upon them the importance of a good turnout for the event. Ask
attendees to RSVP so that you have a reasonable estimate of how large your group will
be.

● A day or two before the surge, circulate an email to confirmed attendees with helpful

logistical information, such as parking information, where to enter the building, arriving
early to go through security procedures, and wearing professional attire. Remind them of
the importance of a good turnout!

What to Do at the Event:

● Ask attendees to sign in with their name and district number (or the names of their

legislators if they don’t know the district number).

● Thank attendees for coming, and thank the resolution sponsor for leading the charge.

● If the sponsor or other supportive legislators are in attendance, allow time for them to

speak about the importance of the measure.

● Appoint someone from your state leadership team to give a brief motivational speech

about the effort in your state.

● Distribute Lobby Day packets to attendees and explain the procedures for visiting the

legislators. Offer assistance to any attendees who want it. You may need to pick up
directories in the capitol lobby containing the office numbers/locations of each legislator.

We are here to help! If you have any questions, please let us know. We will do whatever we can
to help ensure the success of your event!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. An opportunity to share COS on a local radio or TV station has arisen. What should I do?

a. Contact your State Director or State Media Liaison

2. How do I get Mark Meckler or another COS speaker to attend an event in my state?

a. Contact your Regional Director

3. If I want to make up my own materials, how do I get them approved?

a. Send them to Rita Peters at rpeters@cosaction.com.

4. I need advice/help reaching out to Democrat voters/legislators/coalitions and/or

countering JBS/Eagle Forum objections and activity in my state.

13

background image a. Check out our website, which has a wealth of information on these subjects. In

particular, the “Resource Center” (“Answers to Objections”) contains articles that
respond to the most common objections.

b. If you need further assistance with this, contact Rita Peters at

rpeters@cosaction.com.

5. I need advice/help with planning an event.

a. Work with your State Director and Regional Director.

6. How do I obtain information about other states’ progress?

a. View our “Progress Map.”

Payment Policy and Form

Convention of States Project will cover the cost of state expenditures which can be paid in
advance, based on approval from the national office. Requests will be made through this form.
The COS team will assess these requests, and inform you of our decision.

State Directors, Legislative Liaisons, and Coalitions Directors must send requests to
payment@cosaction.com and attach the request form(s) to the email.

District Captain payment requests must go through the State Director, who will then forward
them to payment@cosaction.com.

Requests must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the payment due date. All requests must
include an invoice for the payment.

//Payment request form: //(Download, then type directly in the form - No need to print)

State Leaders Print Policy
The COS office will provide one all-inclusive palm card to meet the print needs of each state.
These palm cards will be requested using this Form Link and will be reviewed by the COS staff.
Once approved, they will be shipped directly to you from our off-site warehouse.

Print requests from District Captains must go through the State Director, who will then forward
them to the national office.

Print request forms must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date the material is needed.

14

background image Legislator Packet Policy

Specific to Legislative Liaisons: The Convention of States national office will supply Legislative
Liaisons with legislator packets. These packets are to be distributed specifically to state
legislators. The packet will consist of the COS Pocket Guide, the Convention of States model
application, and a cover letter (written and printed by the Legislative Liaison).

You will receive the COS Pocket Guides and model application(s) separately and should collate
the items before visiting with a legislator. Please use the above print policy when requesting your
legislator packet.

Tips on Messaging
Remember to always be nice. No matter how infuriating someone's argument might be, we need
to rely on facts and calmly point them back to the truth that lies in the Constitution. The facts are
on our side. There’s no need to resort to name-calling or foul language. Doing so only hurts our
credibility. We stand on the strong foundation of the Constitution, partnered with thousands of
pages of research and the consensus of our nation’s top Constitutional minds.

As you speak to people about the Convention of States, make sure that you never refer to it as a
“Constitutional Convention.” We are not seeking a constitutional convention. It is a convention
of states to propose amendments to limit the power of the federal government. The
Constitutional Convention was where the Constitution was drafted and ratified. When people use
this term, hearers are often concerned that we seek to rewrite the Constitution. This is incorrect.
We are seeking to amend the Constitution through one of the two methods that the Founding
Fathers unanimously approved in Article V of the Constitution. You want to refer to it as a
“convention to propose amendments.”

You will find some good resources for dealing with this and other objections here.

Here are some documents that will help you communicate the Convention of States message,
whether in a conversation or when making a presentation:

● A Solution as Big As the Problem by Michael Farris
● The Process of An Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments

Continuing Education
We have many resources available. Here are a few to get you started:

● Our Resource Page is the best source to learn more, and we encourage you to visit often.
● Here are a series of short articles on various topics.\\ ● We have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos available on our YouTube

Channel.

● COSUniversity offers online training courses.
● Hundreds of research articles and historical documents can be found on our Wiki site.

15

background image ●

COS Briefing Book.

●

The Law of Article V by Robert G. Natelson

Personal Development
“If you want to grow and become the best person you can be, you’ve got to be intentional about
it. Many unsuccessful people who try to lead others have the mistaken belief that people will
follow them because their cause is good. But that’s not the way leadership works. People will
follow you when they believe in you.” - John Maxwell