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A Note from David Guldenschuh to fellow Article V Supporters…
Above is the April 10, 2018 edition of The Article V Convention Legislative Progress Report. Counting the carryover items of Article V legislation from 2017 and the new legislation introduced in 2018, approximately 145 Article V items of legislation have been introduced in 36 states this year. With 20 states no longer in session, and another 10 ready to shut down before or around the end of this month, only about 15 states are actively considering such legislation as of this report.
It has been a slow year for the Article V movement.
US Term Limits remains the only successful advocacy group to have passed in a state with its passage in Alabama earlier this year. Prospects are hopeful that it will pass in Arizona and Missouri before they go sine die.
The BBA Task Force, which has applications passed in 28 states. focused this year on South Carolina, Kentucky and Minnesota. Outside forces took Kentucky out of play for all the groups. The BBA resolution passed the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee, but Sen. Hutto placed a minority report on the resolution as he did three years ago, requiring now a two-thirds vote to get it through the full Senate. That is an unlikely feat. Minnesota remains a work-in-progress with steadily improving numbers, but an unlikely effort in 2018.
The COS Project, which has applications passed in 12 states, is active in at least 12 other states. Iowa and North Carolina are their best opportunities, but momentum appears somewhat stalled.
Wolf PAC came ever so close to passing in Maryland, a truly remarkable feat, given Maryland’s complete lambasting of the Article V convention process in last year’s successful rescission effort. No one can ever accuse certain Maryland legislators of consistency or principle. WP remains active in Hawaii and 7 other states.
We welcome the American Constitution Foundation to the battle. We’ll hear more from them down the road.
ANALYSIS: The lack of successes within the Article V movement in 2018 suggests that each group (except US Term Limits) may be reaching its ceiling with its current funding mechanism. More resources will be needed to find success, particularly since the anti-Article V groups – Common Cause, John Birch Society, Eagle Forum and others – appear to be better funded. The lack of success also harkens back to my 2015 warning in my Heartland Institute Policy Brief that the advocacy groups needed to do a better job of coordinating their efforts lest they begin to cancel each other out. There is likely an air of Article V burnout in some state legislatures that is further tamping down our successes.
STARTING SOLUTION: We need to start thinking about a summit of some sort perhaps this summer wherein the different Article V advocacy groups can come together and plan how we can do a better job of coordinating our efforts. I have some ideas and I welcome yours.
If I can ever be of assistance to any of you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
David F. Guldenschuh
Editor and Publisher
The Article V Convention Legislative Progress Report