fbpx

Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention

The only way to defend our values against this threat is if ordinary people like us step up to make a difference. Join the fight today.

New Hampshire’s upcoming vote to rescind calls for a constitutional convention affects us all

This legislative season in New Hampshire has been busy when it comes to the dangerous push for an Article V constitutional convention. HCR 6 and the call for a constitutional convention was handily defeated in a bipartisan manner with a vote of 318-27. 

While this was a great win for New Hampshire because it did not add any new calls to their roster, they still have existing applications for a convention that place us all at risk for a convention that inches us ever closer to constitutional chaos. With no rules in the Constitution on how an Article V convention would work, every constitutional right and civil liberty could be subject to change.  

Luckily, legislators in New Hampshire are also looking to the future and thinking not only abouttheir own constituents, but the whole of America. That’s why New Hampshire legislators have introduced legislation to slow the process of a looming constitutional crisis and protect all Americans’ rights and civil liberties.  

HCR 9 would rescind all the calls New Hampshire has on the books for a convention. This is an immense step in the right direction, and it is important that residents of New Hampshire take action and let their lawmakers know they do not have the right to gamble with our constitutional rights. 

If HCR 9 passes, New Hampshire would join the ranks of Delaware, New MexicoMarylandNevada, and other states in completing rescission efforts to ensure that the rights for their residents and Americans everywhere are secure.  

If this legislation does not pass, New Hampshire will still have calls for an Article V convention on the books and would thus still be part of the growing list of states that are working to push this dangerous effort. The risk is too great, and we cannot let this happen.  

If we let these dangerous calls go unchecked, we are putting our entire Constitution up for grabs, putting all our rights at risk.  

There are too many unanswered questions, such as 

How the delegates would be electedWould certain states get more powerWho would oversee the convention? Would special interests get a say in the proposed amendmentsHow many amendments and changes could be introduced in a convention?  

While proponents argue they can keep it limited, there are simply no guidelines in the Constitution to guarantee that promise.  

New Hampshire will soon face a vote on HCR 9, but we must be clear, there are multiple groups that see this as dangerous legislation and oppose a constitutional convention. They include:  

Kent Street Coalition, Common Cause, National Education Association-New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sierra Club, Granite State Progress, League of Women Voters New Hampshire, League of Women Voters of the United States, New Hampshire Voters Restoring Democracy, ACLU of New Hampshire, The Brennan Center for Justice, AFSCME Council 93, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  

We must tell the government that we will not allow them to expose our rights to unwarranted risk. Support HCR 9 today.  

Related News

The Wisconsin Assembly just approved a resolution to call a dangerous Article V convention – what happens now?

AJR-77, a resolution calling for an Article V constitutional convention, was passed in the State House last week, February 18. The vote in the house was 60-38. The House is 63 R – 36 D, meaning some Republicans votedagainst this application for a convention.  Wisconsin already has an active convention resolution for the Balanced Budget Amendment, passed in 2017. Former […]

Read More >

Convention of States “Reopen America” Ploy

“I don’t think it’s helpful to encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against the president’s own policy,” Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, said. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”   And yet, that is what is happening around the country as Facebook groups and special interest lobbying organizations are engineering protests at capitols around the nation for states continuing stay-at-home orders as […]

Read More >

KC Becker: Constitutional convention could spell chaos for democracy

KC Becker, who lives in Boulder and represents District 13, is the now the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. She penned this op-ed on September 25, 2018, while majority leader. We deserve a democracy that puts hardworking Coloradans ahead of wealthy special interests and the well-connected. No one can deny the powerful influence […]

Read More >

Republican & Democratic Legislators Agree: An Article V Convention Is A Bad Idea

In their own words, Republican and Democratic state legislators from across the country have warned about the dangers of calling an Article V constitutional convention: “It’s like playing Russian roulette. We kind of think it would work out well. You put a bullet in one chamber, the odds of it working are pretty good. But […]

Read More >

Scholars Invite Mark Meckler to Debate a Constitutional Convention

A public debate is slated for Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5 pm MST in the Lincoln Room of the Idaho Legislature. This forum will offer both sides the opportunity to discuss the merits of the proposed Article V Constitutional Convention, or Convention of States, now being pushed through legislatures across the country.   A constitutional convention could put all our rights […]

Read More >

Legislators in West Virginia Have a Fight on Their Hands

Some lawmakers in West Virginia are, like many other state legislators across the country, fighting against the dangerous call their state has made for an Article V constitutional convention.   This call for a constitutional convention, or Convention of States, is a well-funded campaign led by Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler, Texas mega donor Tim Dunn, […]

Read More >

Exposed: The Convention of States, a Campaign to Undermine 115 Years of Progressivism

This proposal calls for a convention with the broad purpose of limiting the powers of the federal government, imposing fiscal restraints on federal spending, and applying term limits for Members of Congress. Embedded within the legislation of this resolution is vague language lawmakers have intentionally placed – thus illustrating the very real possibility of a […]

Read More >

South Dakota rescission vote shows how complex the issue of an Article V constitutional convention really is

Last week, the South Dakota state senate held a vote on SJR 503 – legislation that would rescind all applications South Dakota has for an Article V constitutional convention. In January, South Dakota had introduced HJR 5001, a resolution that would have added their names to the Convention of States initiative, which seeks to call a dangerous Article V convention […]

Read More >

Stay Connected

We need your help before it's too late. Join our mailing list to receive important updates and help us mobilize.