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Florida Becomes Third State to Pre-File
Convention of States ^ | DECEMBER 10, 2013

Posted on 12/11/2013 5:43:15 PM PST by dontreadthis

Good news from the Sunshine State! Florida State Senator Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) filed SM 476 on Friday petitioning Congress to call an Article V Convention of States.

Senator Hays stated, “Everywhere I go, people ask me what can be done to reform Washington, D.C. This petition to Congress to convene the Article V convention is the first step toward that reform. This ‘runaway’ Federal government is of great concern to Americans of all political parties and of all the states.”

In filing the legislation, Senator Hays continued, “In their wisdom, our Founders knew the Federal Government might one day become too large and too powerful, so they specifically inserted a mechanism that gives states a lawful and orderly instrument to restrain a runaway federal government; it’s Article V, Section 2 of the Constitution.”

So far, Florida, Virginia, and South Carolina have officially pre-filed our application in their state legislature. We have many more representatives interested in sponsoring our application, so be looking for your state as we announce more pre-filings in the next few weeks!

These are huge steps towards calling a Convention of States, and we’re taking them right on schedule!


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: South Carolina; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: articev; florida; southcarolina; virginia
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To: C210N

from the Forbes article:
The great jurist Learned Hand, in 1944, gave a brief, immortal speech, The Spirit of Liberty, before a million and a half people in Central Park, New York, on “I Am an American Day.” Hand observed:
“ I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do
much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it.”
Judge Hand is a figure esteemed as much by the left as by the right. Saul Alinsky cites Hand in Rules for Radicals. An Article V amendment process is a function of citizen dignity — ‘power to the people.” It leans neither left nor
right. It is federalism at its finest. It has, and will have, humanitarian populist proponents (and, also, not-always-so-populist opponents) on the left as well
as the right.


41 posted on 12/11/2013 7:16:23 PM PST by dontreadthis
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To: donmeaker

Gillette would be a great place.


42 posted on 12/11/2013 7:21:27 PM PST by D Rider
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To: dontreadthis

I agree with the sentiment. However, the people never had 100% virtue, don’t have it now, and never will. Indeed, only about 33% of the 3,000,000 Americans around the 1770’s and 1780’s were interested in Liberty. Would guess that no more than 33% today are interested in it as well. But, those that do care need the tools to defend it... and Constitutions, laws and courts will have to do for now.


43 posted on 12/11/2013 7:21:45 PM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: dontreadthis

stupid idea, enforce the Constitution as written.

Vote the RINOs out of office!


44 posted on 12/11/2013 7:24:51 PM PST by dalereed
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To: dontreadthis
After that, the Congress MUST call for the convention and is essentially no longer involved with the convention.

That's what I wanted to hear...

45 posted on 12/11/2013 7:36:03 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: C210N

exactly, and like you say, the 33% figure is what founded the country, so there is no shame or hesitation that it should be 33% who restore it.


46 posted on 12/11/2013 7:38:42 PM PST by dontreadthis
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To: okie01

http://www.scribd.com/doc/126641416/Article-V-Handbook


47 posted on 12/11/2013 7:40:16 PM PST by dontreadthis
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To: Rapscallion

Amen


48 posted on 12/11/2013 8:19:02 PM PST by ConradofMontferrat ( According to mudslimz, my handle is a HATE CRIME. And I HOPE they don't like it.)
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To: dontreadthis

Thanks for the confirmation. I feel much better now.


49 posted on 12/11/2013 9:01:25 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: Repeal The 17th

See what you started at FR?


50 posted on 12/12/2013 1:05:37 AM PST by Jacquerie (An Article V Amendment Convention is our only hope.)
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To: dontreadthis
The last thing we need is a Constitutional Convention!

The first thing they would remove is the 2nd Amendment!

51 posted on 12/12/2013 4:23:21 AM PST by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
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To: ConradofMontferrat

Yes, repeal the progrssive amendments that were passed by the Progressives in the 1920 period, the 16th and 17th, income taxes and direct election of senators.


52 posted on 12/12/2013 4:24:38 AM PST by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
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To: fortheDeclaration

That was my first reaction, but I have since eliminated my fears.
If you have the time, read this:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/126641416/Article-V-Handbook
(see Section Y: The Myth of a Runaway Convention)

Bottom line: it takes 38 States to ratify an Amendment


53 posted on 12/12/2013 4:47:22 AM PST by dontreadthis
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To: stboz
I agree.

Pass all the Amendments you want, but if you then expect the likes of Reid, Pelosi, McConnell, Boehner, Obama, the Supreme Court, & thousands of other self serving politicians to all of a sudden start adhering to the Constitution, you are delusional.

Short of a world war, revolution, or national disaster, I don't believe the US voter will EVER cast out the corruption, replacing it with patriots, & neither crisis guarantees a that outcome.

54 posted on 12/12/2013 6:15:24 AM PST by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: C210N
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress.

I'm with the group that feels this is likely to go very badly against us and the BOR will be trimmed down to support 'common sense' gun control, speech control and religion control.

The sad facts are that Conservatives do not constitute 2/3 of the people or 2/3 of the States or 3/4 of the States, so the basis of "using super-majorities to change the Constitution" isn't really operative.

Why are people thinking this will work? We can't even wit the White House against an utterly incompetent fool, we can't win a simple majority in the Senate, but somehow we are going to rack up 3/4 of the state legislatures to modify the Constitution.

Mark Levin is a great talk show host, and I love his dedication to the Constitution but I just don't see this happening.

These guys all get to a certain point and what to DRIVE the movement they have been reporting on. Beck did so with his 9/12 project, which did a lot to confuse the Tea Party movement and fractionalize it. (Really, lack of reverence for MLK is not a huge problem that Conservatives need to be rallying on the mall for. The original focus was "taxed enough already" was far more inclusive and powerful.)

But I still appreciate his hard work and his books and his sincerity.

55 posted on 12/12/2013 8:50:05 AM PST by Jack Black ( Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocide.)
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To: dontreadthis

Be careful of the Second Amendment here, people.


56 posted on 12/12/2013 8:51:24 AM PST by Lazamataz (Early 2009 to 7/21/2013 - RIP my little girl Cathy. You were the best cat ever. You will be missed.)
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