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Dear editor:
Did you know…?
Recently, an elected House District 24 representative used her social media platform to mock the United States Constitution, specifically the second clause of …
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Dear editor:
Did you know…?
Recently, an elected House District 24 representative used her social media platform to mock the United States Constitution, specifically the second clause of Article V. She announced, “I have some good news, Convention of States died on this floor right now; we’re still winning.”
However, this is not a victory. Instead, she has offended the 358 constituents who signed petitions urging her to support and defend the ENTIRE U.S. Constitution. By helping block the Wyoming Senate’s approval, she has also obstructed Wyoming from joining 20 other states that have successfully passed the Article V resolution.
The Constitution lays out methods for amending itself. According to Article V, amendments must first be properly proposed, either by Congress or by a “temporary gathering” called a “Convention for proposing Amendments.”
Some House representatives argue that the application and convention procedures are unclear because the Constitution does not provide many details. But the Constitution also offers little detail about fundamental rights such as trial by jury or habeas corpus. We understand these rights through the study of history, law, and the practices of those who wrote and adopted the Constitution.
Opponents of the convention process often make claims that are based on speculation and alarmism, without deeply investigating the long history of inter-colonial and interstate conventions, official documents from after the founding, hundreds of state legislative applications, and court decisions spanning from 1798 to the present.
Our Founding Fathers gave us a valuable mechanism by which the states can restrain the powers of the federal government. It is time to utilize this Constitutional tool and move forward with an Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments!
If you are interested in learning more about the Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments, visit conventionofstates.com for detailed information and resources. For a deeper understanding of the legislative process and the official language of the resolution, you can read the SJ5 resolution, which is available at wyoleg.gov.
Gene Schrader
Cody
