There are a growing number of thing I think need fixing like Citizenship."
Then you must know, there's a whole Convention of the States movement, including an organization called COSA -- Convention of the States Action -- founded by Mark Meckler and Michael Ferris.
The movement has a lot of big name supporters including (according to my AI):
| Name of COS Support | Occupation | Connection to Article V Convention Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Levin | Radio host, author | Author of The Liberty Amendments (2013); one of the most visible advocates of using Article V to propose amendments limiting federal power. |
| Mark Meckler | Co-founder, Convention of States; former Tea Party Patriots leader | Principal organizer of the modern Convention of States movement and advocate for a limited Article V convention. |
| Michael Farris | Constitutional attorney | Co-founder of Convention of States and a leading legal advocate for the Article V process. |
| Rick Santorum | Former U.S. Senator (Pennsylvania) | Senior adviser to Convention of States and frequent public defender of the Article V convention process. |
| Tom Coburn | Former U.S. Senator (Oklahoma) | Served as a senior adviser to the Convention of States Project and publicly promoted its goals. |
| Rand Paul | U.S. Senator (Kentucky) | Listed among prominent endorsers of the Convention of States effort. |
| Ron DeSantis | Governor of Florida | Public supporter and endorser of the Convention of States movement. |
| Greg Abbott | Governor of Texas | Advocated constitutional reforms and endorsed the Convention of States effort. |
| Mike Huckabee | Former Governor of Arkansas | Publicly endorsed Convention of States and praised its organizers and strategy. |
| Ben Carson | Former HUD Secretary | Listed as an endorser of the Convention of States movement. |
| Ben Shapiro | Commentator and author | Publicly identified as a supporter of an Article V convention. |
| Pete Hegseth | Media personality; later U.S. Secretary of Defense | Endorser of the Convention of States project and Article V convention effort. |
| Jeb Bush | Former Governor of Florida | Listed among Convention of States endorsers. |
| Jim DeMint | Former U.S. Senator (South Carolina) | Endorser of the Convention of States movement. |
| Rob Natelson | Constitutional scholar and former law professor | Among the most prominent academic defenders of the Article V convention process. |
| Larry Sabato | Political scientist, University of Virginia | Advocated constitutional reform through the amendment process and is known for proposing substantial constitutional revisions in A More Perfect Constitution. |
| Bruce Fein | Constitutional lawyer and commentator | Has publicly argued for using the Article V amendment process to address structural constitutional issues and federal power. |
Mark Levin probably expressed the goals best in his book, "The Liberty Amendments" where he called for a Convention of the States to pass 11 amendments:
| Proposed Amendment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Congressional Term Limits | Limit the length of service of members of Congress. |
| Repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment | Return the election of U.S. Senators to state legislatures instead of direct popular election. |
| Supreme Court Reform | Impose term limits on Supreme Court justices and reduce what Levin viewed as excessive judicial power. |
| Balanced Budget and Spending Limits | Require a balanced federal budget and place limits on federal spending, debt, and taxation. |
| Tax Limitation Amendment | Restrict federal taxing authority and tie tax-filing deadlines to federal elections. |
| Federal Bureaucracy Sunset Provisions | Require periodic reauthorization of federal departments, agencies, and regulations. |
| Commerce Clause Clarification | Narrow the interpretation of the Commerce Clause to reduce federal regulatory authority. |
| Private Property Protections | Strengthen protections against eminent-domain abuses and regulatory takings. |
| State-Initiated Constitutional Amendments | Allow states to amend the Constitution more directly without relying on Congress to initiate the process. |
| State Veto of Federal Actions | Permit a supermajority of states to overturn federal laws or regulations. |
| Election Integrity Amendment | Require voter photo identification and restrict certain forms of early voting. |
Major Themes Behind Levin's Proposals
- Strengthen the States: Repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment, state-initiated amendments, and a state veto power over federal actions.
- Constrain Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy: Congressional term limits, balanced-budget requirements, spending limits, and sunset reviews of federal agencies.
- Constrain the Federal Judiciary: Supreme Court term limits and restrictions on judicial supremacy.
- Restore Federalism: Narrower interpretations of the Commerce Clause and stronger protection of powers reserved to the states.
So far, 20 states have passed COS resolutions. 34 are needed for a convention, 38 to ratify amendments.
The 20 states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
I note from the map (right) that swing-states like NC, VA, PA, OH & MI all have strong majorities favoring a COS.
I think it's a noble idea, but given the insanities ruling our Democrats and split opinions among Republicans these days, I doubt if a COS could ever happen, or if anything constructive could result from it.