Williamsburg, VA — In an event evoking echoes of America’s founding era, legislators from almost every state convened on Thursday for a trial run of what organizers are calling a potentially historic event – an Article V Convention.
Article V of the Constitution outlines a method for states to propose new amendments and hold the federal government accountable. It states that upon the application of two-thirds of the states, Congress “shall call a convention for proposing amendments.” The gathering in Williamsburg is a simulation, as only 19 out of the 34 states required to call a real convention have approved applications so far. Nevertheless, participants believe it is setting the stage for a significant political event.
“The year before our 1787 convention there was a convention in Annapolis in 1786, which was a bit of a precursor,” said Mike Ruthenberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Convention of States (COS). “We certainly think of that when we think of this simulated convention right here.”
The commissioners, following the election of a convention president, split into three committees to deliberate on different subjects: the Committee on Federal Legislative & Executive Jurisdiction, the Committee on Fiscal Restraints, and the Committee on Term Limits & Federal Judicial Jurisdiction.
The model Convention of States resolution, approved by 19 states, calls for a convention to propose amendments 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.”
COS President Mark Meckler hopes that legislators in attendance will become “comfortable with the process” and “advocates for the use of the article.” If the idea gains enough traction for 34 state legislatures to call for a real convention, Meckler believes it will be “the biggest political event in the history of the United States of America.”
“The movement has momentum, with more states on the verge of passing COS resolutions. ‘The closest one right now is North Carolina,’ Meckler said. ‘We’ve already passed the House and are pending in the Senate.'”
Next year, Meckler believes that COS will be particularly strong in the Mountain states—Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
The Article V initiative began nearly a decade ago when Meckler and Ruthenberg met with Michael Farris in Scottsdale, Arizona, to discuss an idea that “will save the nation.”
“Article V is easy to read and figure out, and so I basically said, why don’t we do this?” said Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association and former CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The article embodies “the structural changes that the Founders believed in so strongly as the principal protection against erosion [of] our liberty.”
“Article V is a long term game and what needs to happen to teach the government that they don’t have unlimited power, that they have a boss, and the boss is the states and the people,” Farris added.
While critics express concern about a “runaway convention” where commissioners propose amendments beyond the designated subject matter, Meckler emphasizes that anything coming out of the convention must still be ratified by 38 states.
“When people say they’re worried about a runaway convention, I often say, well, I’ll give you my personal email address, and you write to me and tell me the amendment that you’re worried about. And then list the 38 states that you think will ratify that amendment,” Meckler stated. “I’ve never received that email.”