Title: North Dakota Team Stops Rescission SCR 4012
Original CoS Document (slug): north-dakota-stops-rescission-scr-4012
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Created: 2023-02-26 11:14:48
Updated: 2023-03-06 03:00:00
Published: 2023-02-27 03:00:00
Converted: 2025-04-14T20:31:41.907895127
On Tuesday, February 21, the outside high temperature for the day was seven degrees. Inside the North Dakota state capitol, state senators were about to vote on the last agenda item of the day: SCR 4012, a resolution, that if passed, would rescind the Convention of States resolution passed in March 2017. North Dakota would no longer be a passed state.
So how did we come to this point again? The 2023 rescission effort was not the first attempt in North Dakota. State legislators opposed to Convention of States and other Article V resolutions had sponsored rescission resolutions in each of the two prior legislative sessions: 2021 and 2019. The same was true for 2023 as State Senators David A Clemens, District 16; Senator Cole Conley, District 12; Senator Jeffery J Magrum, District 8; and State House Representative Jeff A Hoverson, District 3, sponsored and introduced on January 23, 2023, SCR 4012. The primary reason is due to a fear of a runaway convention as spewed by the John Birch Society.
In North Dakota, all bills and resolutions “come to the floor” for a vote in the respective state house or senate. Although bills and resolutions are assigned to a committee, the committee vote is a recommendation only for the outcome of the floor vote. On Sunday evening, February 12, our North Dakota COS team learned that the Senate State and Local Government committee scheduled a hearing on SCR 4012 for 10:00 am Thursday, February 16. This small, but mighty team of patriots activated to present in-person testimony and make our case for a DO NOT PASS recommendation. Additionally, hundreds of North Dakota COS supporters responded to our call to action and contacted committee members ahead of the hearing asking for a DO NOT PASS vote.
Dale Burke, Regional Captain; Lynn Mahr, Regional Captain; Jeremy Neuharth, state director team member; Chris Miller, supporter; James Swartout-the ND Flag Pole Guy, supporter; and George Goodman, volunteer activist, gave in-person testimony. Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States, provided key additional virtual testimony support. Representative Jim Kasper, District 46, primary sponsor of HCR3006, our COS resolution that passed in 2017, provided important in-person testimony.
On Friday, February 17, the committee voted 4-1-1 recommending a DO NOT PASS on SCR 4012. It was a critical first win! Our team members and supporters continued our calls to action, contacting all state senators asking they vote DO NOT PASS.
Our Convention of States North Dakota and national teams watched intently four days later on February 21 as the vote was taken: 15 Yea, 31 Nay, 1 N/V. SCR 4012 failed to pass and North Dakota remains a passed state! Thank you to the 31 state senators who stood for liberty! Thank you to our COS supporters who answered our call to action! Thank you to our North Dakota team members who overcame obstacles to appear in person to represent liberty for all North Dakotans!
But that's not the end of the story. We know there will be other rescission attempts in future legislative sessions. So how do we prevent this? What have we learned? We need YOU! We need more patriots to join our North Dakota COS team to help educate our state legislators. We need YOU to stand up, speak up, and show up to represent your values. We need YOU to spread the word about why you support Convention of States and why those you share with should too! To join our team, go to Take Action! Become a Volunteer!