Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Maine sets record by becoming 36th state to file the Convention of States application
conventionofstates.com ^ | 5/5/15 | Ken Quinn

Posted on 05/06/2015 4:08:44 PM PDT by cotton1706

Maine recently joined 35 other states this year in filing the Convention of States (COS) resolution calling for an Article V convention limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limits terms of office for its officials and members of Congress. The Convention of States Project now holds the record for filing the most identical Article V resolutions in a single year --and it demonstrates that state legislators are realizing their power to correct our nation’s most pressing problems through this long-neglected constitutional process.

As Alexander Hamilton said of Article V in Federalist 85:

“Nor however difficult it may be supposed to unite two thirds or three fourths of the State legislatures, in amendments which may affect local interests, can there be any room to apprehend any such difficulty in a union on points which are merely relative to the general liberty or security of the people. We may safely rely on the disposition of the State legislatures to erect barriers against the encroachments of the national authority.”

So far, the state legislatures of Georgia, Alaska, and Florida have answered that call of duty to help erect barriers against the encroaching national authority by completely passing our Article V resolution. And many of the 35 filings this year are still working their way through committees and legislative bodies. Although some are no longer active for this legislative session, COS has seen major progress in its efforts among the states in the two short years since Citizens for Self-Governance started the project. In states where our resolution does not complete the legislative process this year, we will work with our sponsors to re-introduce it at the start of the next legislative session.

(Excerpt) Read more at conventionofstates.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: articlev; conventionofstates; maine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: Publius

Thanks for the information, Publius…and for your work. V-BUMP!


21 posted on 05/06/2015 6:38:49 PM PDT by PGalt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

Here’s what’s going to come out of this convention:
1) The first amendment will be modified to include separation of church and state (carving in granite a very questionable Supreme Court decision), make it illegal to proselytize, and include a provision that hate speech is not protected by the Constitution.
2) The second amendment will be modified to exclude “assault weapons,” to be defined by each state or locality, and ban interstate transport of such weapons and their ammunition.
3) Gay marriage will be formally recognized and have all of the same rights as any married couple. (It will then be impossible to undo this slide into wicked immorality.)
4) Socialized medicine will become a Constitutional requirement.
5) The “right to die” will be included, legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia.
6) The right to abortion will be formally included in the Constitution so that it can’t be overturned by a later Supreme Court decision.
7) Illegals can become citizens more easily (for instance, if they have been in the country illegally for more than a year).
8) Illegals have rights, they can vote, and collect all Federal benefits
9) You don’t have to be born a citizen of the United States to be President.
10) The United States will be subject to international law.

Can you think of some other things the liberals will want in the Constitution after they hijack this convention?


22 posted on 05/06/2015 7:12:51 PM PDT by Rocky (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rocky
Any amendments coming out of the convention would then have to be approved by 3/4 of the states before they would take effect. The ones you listed wouldn't get approved.

I'm getting tired of hearing this ignorance.

23 posted on 05/06/2015 8:25:50 PM PDT by Steve0113
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Rocky
Conservatives control 66 off 99 state legislative bodies which is exactly 2/3's needed to propose amendments.

For ratification of any amendments proposed by 66 of the state legislative bodies, 75 state legislative bodies are needed.

Here below is what will happen to your liberal fantasy:

1) The first amendment will be modified to include separation of church and state (carving in granite a very questionable Supreme Court decision), make it illegal to proselytize, and include a provision that hate speech is not protected by the Constitution.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

2) The second amendment will be modified to exclude “assault weapons,” to be defined by each state or locality, and ban interstate transport of such weapons and their ammunition.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

3) Gay marriage will be formally recognized and have all of the same rights as any married couple. (It will then be impossible to undo this slide into wicked immorality.)

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

4) Socialized medicine will become a Constitutional requirement.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

5) The “right to die” will be included, legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

6) The right to abortion will be formally included in the Constitution so that it can’t be overturned by a later Supreme Court decision.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

7) Illegals can become citizens more easily (for instance, if they have been in the country illegally for more than a year).

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

8) Illegals have rights, they can vote, and collect all Federal benefits

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

9) You don’t have to be born a citizen of the United States to be President.

10) The United States will be subject to international law.

KILLED IN AMENDMENTS SCREENING COMMITTEE.

Can you think of some other things the liberals will want in the Constitution after they hijack this convention?

YES. THEY WILL WANT AN AMENDMENT THAT FORBIDS CONSERVATIVES FROM KICKING THEIR ASSES TWELVE TIMES TO SUNDAY.

24 posted on 05/06/2015 8:39:15 PM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Hostage

You have great faith in the amendments screening committee.


25 posted on 05/06/2015 8:41:58 PM PDT by MortMan (All those in favor of gun control raise both hands!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

bump


26 posted on 05/06/2015 8:43:22 PM PDT by Baynative (We are experiencing the type of government the founders warned us about.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MortMan

More faith than in the US Congress.

The men and women of the Convention of States Project are working on rules that will be adapted by all members attending the Convention of States. And if anyone breaks the rules they will be shown the door and not allowed back in.


27 posted on 05/06/2015 9:03:40 PM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Rocky; Steve1789; Hostage
States will not send reps with unlimited discretion; they will send delegates with commissions, detailed limits.

Here is Indiana’s.

28 posted on 05/07/2015 12:52:29 AM PDT by Jacquerie (To shun Article V is to embrace tyranny.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Nuc 1.1

His statement applied very well before the 17A.


29 posted on 05/07/2015 1:09:37 AM PDT by Jacquerie (To shun Article V is to embrace tyranny.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Jacquerie; Rocky; Steve1789; Hostage

It’s like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. You might live, you might die. You don’t know until you try.

But consider this: the liberals almost always get their way, even when the Republicans have the majority. Why would this turn out any different?

If you can’t get what you want when the Republicans control both houses of Congress, you won’t get what you want in a convention.


30 posted on 05/07/2015 1:47:26 AM PDT by Rocky (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Rocky; Jacquerie; Steve1789

> “It’s like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. You might live, you might die. You don’t know until you try.”

Poor analogy; flawed structural premise.

More like jumping out of an airplane ***with*** a parachute. The pilot flying the plane, the plane’s altitude, speed, course and location, the experience and alertness of the pro packing the parachute, all are design and operational factors to be rightly reviewed and monitored. The analogy would be more accurate if the plane were out of gas but still maneuverable under its momentum, with clear awareness that it will soon crash so that there is no time to waste.

Such a review and alertness of design and operational factors exists in the able persons leading the Convention of States Project. They are persons with a long history in government and politics, professors of law, attorneys, historians who are very aware, likely much more aware than most every casual reader or troll on the internet, of how to achieve good order and to lay out the rules for the process. A review of rules and procedures is fair game.

> “But consider this: the liberals almost always get their way, even when the Republicans have the majority. Why would this turn out any different?”

Again poor structural premise; equivalent to “All humans end up dying so why live?”. Liberals do not almost always get their way, far from it. Republicans have the majority because of grassroots conservatives but lack at this point control of the leadership which is at the moment in the hands of certain moderates who form what is known as the establishment republicans. Conflict with these wayward establishment types is ongoing; the days of their hands on the controls are numbered.

In reaction to the conflict between grassroots conservatives and establishment moderates calling themselves republican, the grassroots have turned to Article V which bypasses the controllers in Congress as well as the Executive and the Judiciary. Just as grassroots conservatives have been successful in taking control of State houses, more so that at anytime in US History, they are now picking up the tools at their disposal to check Congress and all federal branches so that balance is restored, just as the Founders had intended. This movement is entirely constitutionally authorized and warranted.

> “If you can’t get what you want when the Republicans control both houses of Congress, you won’t get what you want in a convention.”

Flawed logic. The Beltway Class is separate from the Country Class; complete different populations of people in character and in priorities. They are not comparable. The people of the Country Class are using Article V to impose fiscal restraints, term limits, states rights and a general check on federal government. The Beltway Class would never undertake such reforms of themselves; they are not expected nor were they ever expected to be supportive of the Article V movement.


31 posted on 05/07/2015 2:44:03 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: MortMan
You have great faith in the amendments screening committee.

Well, there's also the fact that the ratification requires 3/4 of the states.

32 posted on 05/08/2015 8:51:51 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Rocky
But consider this: the liberals almost always get their way, even when the Republicans have the majority.

This statement betrays a belief that the Republican party is not liberal.

33 posted on 05/08/2015 8:53:35 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: OneWingedShark
This statement betrays a belief that the Republican party is not liberal.

On the contrary. My point is that "Republican" does not mean "conservative." I keep hearing that "we" are winning because Republicans have been elected. But the elected Republicans support the same liberal programs that the Democrats were pushing. They are not conservative.

So, when people tell me that the constitutional convention will be under the control of conservatives, and they support this by showing how many state legislatures are dominated by Republicans, I have to laugh. Liberals run the show. Some are called Democrats, some are called Republicans.

Let's not put the Constitution on the table for open heart surgery until we know who the surgeon is going to be. Laws can be repealed. If conservatives ever do get the upper hand, laws can be undone. If we allow the liberals to mess up the Constitution, it will be much harder to undo that.

34 posted on 05/08/2015 9:08:15 PM PDT by Rocky (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Rocky
Let's not put the Constitution on the table for open heart surgery until we know who the surgeon is going to be. Laws can be repealed. If conservatives ever do get the upper hand, laws can be undone. If we allow the liberals to mess up the Constitution, it will be much harder to undo that.

Given that 3/4 of the States must assent to the amendments, I don't see it as quite so dangerous. (That is, if 3/4 of the States themselves would do something like [e.g.] repeal the 2nd Amendment we're already toast.) — But there are things that must be addressed by amendment because normal acts of the legislature may, as you observed, be repealed.

Some of the things that need to be addressed are: the 17th Amendment, taxation, Here are my proposed amendments:

Tax Reform Amendment
Section I
No tax, fee, fine, or judgement —federal, State, or subdivision of either— shall ever be withheld from any wage.

Section II
No property shall be seized for failure to pay taxes until after conviction in a jury trial; the right of the jury to nullify (and thereby forgive) this debt shall never be questioned or denied.
Section III
The second amendment is hereby recognized as restricting the power of taxation, both federal and state, therefore no tax (or fee, or fine) shall be laid upon munitions or the sale thereof.

Section IV
The seventh amendment is also hereby recognized, and nothing in this amendment shall restrict the right of a citizen to seek civil redress.

Section V
No income tax levied by the federal government, the several States, or any subdivision of either shall ever exceed 10%.

Section VI
No income tax levied by the federal government, the several States, or any subdivision of either shall ever apply varying rates to those in its jurisdiction.

Section VII
No retrospective, retroactive, or ex post facto tax, fee, or fine shall ever be valid; nor shall the Congress delegate the creation of any tax, fee, or fine in any way; nor shall Congress give any credit, exemption, or deduction to any person, class of persons, or corporation whatsoever.

Section VIII
No federal employee, representative, senator, judge, justice or agent shall ever be exempt from any tax, fine, or fee by virtue of their position.

Section IX
Any federal employee, representative, senator, judge, justice or agent abridging, attempting to abridge, or otherwise circumventing this amendment shall, upon conviction, be evicted from office and all retirement benefits forfeit.
Fiscal Responsibility Amendment
Section I
The power of Congress to regulate the value of money is hereby rescinded; the unit of money of the United States is the Dollar.

Section II
The value of the Dollar shall be one fifteen-hundredth avoirdupois ounce of gold of which impurities do not exceed one part per thousand.

Section III
To guard against Congress using its authority over weights and measures to bypass Section I, the ounce in Section II is approximately 28.3495 grams (SI).

Section IV
The Secretary of the Treasury shall annually report the gold physically in its possession; this report shall be publicly available. Any five states may commission a third party audit to confirm this report at their own expense.

Section V
The power of the Congress to assume debt is hereby restricted: the congress shall assume no debt that shall cause the total obligations of the United States to exceed one hundred ten percent of the amount last reported by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Section VI
Any government agent, officer, judge, justice, employee, representative, or congressman causing gold, money, or real estate to be confiscated from a citizen shall be tried for theft and upon conviction shall:
a. be removed from office (and fired, if an employee),
b. forfeit all pension and retirement benefits,
c. pay all legal costs, and
d. restore to the bereaved twice the amount in controversy.

Section VII
The federal government shall assume no obligation lacking funding, neither shall it lay such obligation on any of the several States, any subdivision thereof, or any place under the jurisdiction of the United States. All unfunded liabilities heretofore assumed by the United States are void.

Section VIII
The federal government shall make all payments to its employees or the several states in physical gold. Misappropriation, malfeasance and/or misfeasance of funds shall be considered confiscation and theft.
Judicial Reform Amendment
Section I
No court or tribunal shall deny inquiry into its jurisdiction or the authority under which it operates; misrepresentation thereof shall result in that person being charged with malfeasance.

Section II
This Constitution and the Constitution of the State wherein the jurisdiction of the trying court resides may always be used as a defense, the interpretation presented may or may not be correct —it is the right of the jury to decide— but the court cannot prevent it from being cited and argued.

Section III
The Fifth amendment’s prohibition against being tried for the same offence twice is hereby recognized as applying to actions and not jurisdiction; therefore no federal case shall be made against a person for actions already tried by a State or subdivision thereof. However, nothing herein prevents a State from trying persons for Treason against its own sovereignty.

Section IV
The Sixth amendment’s guarantee of a speedy trial is hereby recognized: for every week after the six months from the start of the trial the accused shall be paid the national average wage for one week’s pay, this payment shall be the responsibility and liability of the officers of the court.

Section V
The Eighth amendment is hereby recognized as preventing excessively long imprisonment: no term of imprisonment shall exceed ten years. The Eighth amendment shall not be held to prevent capital punishment.

Section VI
The Second amendment is hereby recognized: no court shall bar a juror from wearing his weapon, as he is a free man.

Section VII
No right of the Citizen shall be denied to a Citizen who, having been convicted, has completed his sentence.

Section VIII
The text of the Constitution should not be arbitrarily reinterpreted and, as the judiciary does such with its doctrine of incorporation, the Fourteenth amendment is hereby repealed.
 
Grand Jury Amendment
Section I
The Grand Jury is hereby recognized as an independent, self-directing body of inquisitors comprised of citizens with power to pursue any unlawful conduct to its source, including the government itself.

Section II
All government agents, officers, judges, justices, employees, representatives, or congressmen may be held to account for obstructing a Grand Jury — upon conviction in a jury trial they shall be fined up to six month’s pay (but not less than one) and may be jailed for an equal term.

Section III
Any judge or prosecutor refusing to act upon a Presentment shall immediately be evicted from office.

Section IV
No member of a Grand Jury shall be involuntarily removed for any cause except conviction of a felony or Treason.

Section V
The local Sheriff of each county shall appoint the members of the federal Grand Jury for that county within two months after his election and their term shall be of the same length of time as the Sheriff but starting six month after the start of his tenure.
Commerce Clause Amendment
Section I
The federal government shall directly subsidize no product or industry whatsoever, saving the promotion of the progress of Science and useful Arts.

Section II
The federal government shall never prescribe nor proscribe what the several states teach. Neither the federal government nor the several states shall ever deny the right of parents to teach and instruct their children as they see fit.

Section III
The congress may impose tariffs, excise taxes, and customs duties on anything imported or exported, provided that they are applied uniformly and in no manner restrict, subvert, or circumvent the second amendment.

Section IV
No federal law, rule, or regulation may impose prohibitions or restrictions of any sort on the commerce between the several states due to the item itself.
Senate Reform Amendment
Section I
The seventeenth amendment is hereby repealed.

Section II
The several states may provide by law the means by which their senators may be removed or replaced.

Section III
No person shall be a senator for more than two consecutive terms.

Section IV
All Senators shall be paid by their respective states according to such wages as that State may set; they shall receive no remuneration from the federal government.
Reasoning for these amendments, especially why they're needed, can be found here.
35 posted on 05/08/2015 9:38:37 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson