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.

Maryland Attorney General Warns of the Dangers of an Article V Convention

Just two years after Maryland rescinded the state’s application for an Article V convention, legislators are again considering calling for a convention. This time, though, Maryland legislators want the convention to be focused on campaign finance reform.

While we all agree that we must change our campaign finance system, trying to change it in a constitutional convention is a bad idea. There are no rules or guidelines in the Constitution on how an Article V convention would work, which means there is no real way to limit the scope of a convention. An Article V convention, which would likely be dominated by wealthy special interests, could lead to all of our constitutional rights and civil liberties being put up for grabs, including the right to free speech and the right to vote.

The office of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh seems to agree with this assessment. In a letter recently sent to the state legislature, Sandra Benson Brantley, the Counsel to the General Assembly in the Attorney General’s office, laid out why legal scholars warn about the threat of a runaway convention. Brantley cited former Maryland Attorney General Stephen Sachs, who once warned “the basic problem is that there appears to be no effective way to limit the convention’s scope once it is called.”

Click here to read the full letter from the Maryland Attorney General’s office to the state legislature.

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 >

Breaking: New Polling Shows Majority of Republican Voters Oppose Changing Constitution through an Article V Constitutional Convention

A new national poll done by J. Wallin Opinion Research revealed a majority (59.2%) of Republican voters oppose changing the U.S. Constitution by calling an Article V Constitutional Convention. Further evidence in the poll shows the reluctance of Republican voters to take drastic steps to alter this foundational document.  Protecting and preserving the rights guaranteed […]

Read More >

Former Governors Mike Huckabee and Scott Walker Descend on SC State House and Create Confusion

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker recently visited the South Carolina State House to gather support for their “balanced budget amendment.”   What they did not discuss, however, was the damage a convention could do to the United States and the Constitution if this were to be called.   This pro-convention campaign is the one that has progressed the […]

Read More >

New Polling Shows Americans Oppose Changing Constitution Through Convention

Americans across the political spectrum believe our constitutional rights must be protected and oppose calling a new constitutional convention to change the Constitution, according to new polling conducted last month. Research by J. Wallin Opinion Research concludes that after the tumultuous year marked by a national election, civil rights demonstrations, and a historic health pandemic, […]

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 >

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 >

Colorado Rescinds Calls for Article V Constitutional Convention

Last week, lawmakers in Colorado took the important action of rescinding all of Colorado’s previous calls for an Article V constitutional convention. This crucial legislation removes Colorado from the dangerous equation many state legislatures have fallen prey to by wealthy special interests looking to start a constitutional convention when they hit the 34 state threshold […]

Read More >

Article V Proponent Mark Meckler Takes Over as Right-Wing Media CEO

Americans deserve a free and fair democracy that is brought to them through factual information and trusted leadership. However, with the re-emergence of Parler under the direction of a known right-wing extremist figure that is actively working to dismantle those very rights, only further proves that the site is not intended to engage in dialogue. […]

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.