Malloy, Strong, Redic join Convention of States team
VT COS LEADERSHIP TEAM GROWS – Ericka Redic, Gerald Malloy, and Vicki Strong have signed on to the effort to send Vermont to a Convention of States.
By Guy Page
A resolution seeking Vermont participation in a Convention of States to “impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress” was introduced into the Vermont House January 31.
Joint House Resolution J.H.R. 1, was sponsored by Rep. Mark Higley (R-Lowell) and co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Tom Burditt (Rutland Town), Larry Labor (Morgan), and Charles Wilson (Lyndon).
It was sent to the Government Ops & Military Affairs Committee, of which Higley is the Ranking Member (lead representative of the minority party). If approved by Gov Ops, it will be returned to the full House to face a vote of the entire body. If passed by the House, the resolution would then be sent to the Senate.
Article V of the U.S. Constitution gives states the power to call a Convention of States to propose amendments. It takes 34 states to call the convention and 38 to ratify any amendments that are proposed. According to a map on conventionofstates.com, 19 state legislatures have called for a COS, and seven others (including neighboring New Hampshire) have passed a COS resolution in at least one chamber.
Three high-profile candidates in the 2022 election have assumed roles in the Vermont COS leadership team.
Gerald Malloy has committed to be the Veterans Coalitions Director. As a graduate of West Point and with over 22 years in active duty around the world with the U.S. Army, Gerald has faithfully and honorably served his country. The VCD role is to recruit, welcome, and inform U.S. Military Veterans in Vermont about an Article V convention.
Vicki Strong has agreed to be the Legislative Liaison. After 12 years in the Vermont House of Representatives, her district was redrawn this last election and the results were not in her favor. During those years of service to Vermont, through her consistent voice of compassion and reason, Strong built lasting relationships with members of our legislature.
Ericka Redic has volunteered to be the Vermont State Videographer. Ericka has her own podcast called “Generally Irritable” where she engages Vermonters on sociopolitical topics. Her goal is to dig through the rhetoric and search for the truth on serious topics, in a thought-provoking and often-humorous way.
The fifth season of “Generally Irritable” will be kicked off with a discussion about the Convention of States movement in Vermont with Legislative Liaison, Vicki Strong. You can watch it live this Friday, February 3 at noon, or at your convenience on any of these platforms: Rumble, YouTube or Facebook.
If you’re looking for more information or wish to become a member of this grassroots effort, the COS petition can be signed at conventionofstates.com. There’s also a box to check for people who wish to volunteer, state coordinator Jason Herron of Guilford said.
Categories: Legislation
Any chance to make this noble effort retroactive????
Please!
There is probably no chance of me ever seeing term limits in my life time, but thanks you to all who agree with me, and see the problem with politicians becoming a part of the furniture under the Golden Dome. I keep expecting to see 180 mail boxes on the State House lawn, and a bill asking for new housing to be built on the Complex so the politicians can live there and, maybe a cemetery in Hubbard Park so they can be buried there? Instead of that, how about serving two terms, and go back to contribute to a productive society ?
Yes Patrick Finnie……….as was intended from the get go ……
A COS is a big mistake. As I understand it, not only can new amendments be proposed, but current ones can be modified. Do you like the second amendment the way it is? You can probably kiss it good bye, at least in its current wording.
If you think Washington is a hell hole of money and corruption just imagine what a feeding frenzy of lobbyists, ruling class elites and their bought and paid for minions would be. They would be salivating at the chance to completely ruin a major obstacle, the U.S. Constitution, to their fevered dreams.
A COS is limited to the topics covered in the application. Over 400 applications for a convention have been filed over the years however there has never been a COS because there have not been 34 applications that addressed the same topics. You would have to get 34 states to call the convention addressing the second amendment, and then 38 states ratify any proposals. Has anyone ever seen 38 states agree on anything as controversial as the second amendment?
As you have said Washington is out of control and that is what this COS would address.
What you’re talking about is a runaway convention. That will not happen because as the resolution states there are only three items for amendments that will be voted on. Anything else will not be picked up and run with.
The has to be a proposed amendment. (term limits and a required balanced federal budget) 34 Of the states must agree to just that amendment. That amendment is the ONLY thing to go to the COS. But it doesn’t become part of the Constittution just because somebody got together. That proposed amendment then must go to the 50 states for ratification, and it takes 38 of the 50 states to agree.
A Convention of States may not be a bad idea after all. It would provide a forum to restructure the Second Amendment up to 21st century technology standards.
If that happens, perhaps the 1st amendment should be brought into the 21st technology standards also. When the founders wrote the second amendment they did not say the right to keep and bear Muskets shall not be infringed, they said arms being fully aware that the state of weapons would change. Your liberal argument has no value. Should we also trash the bible? After all how could those people understand modern man? The 2nd amendment was also written as it was so the citizens could form militias and would be able to bring state of the art weapons to battle against an invading army, the same weapons that would be in the hands of those invaders. While it may sound far fetched to your liberal thinking, when England was on the verge of being invaded in WW2 they begged Americans to send small arms because they had disarmed the average person. Read some history so we don’t have to repeat it.
The resolution is for specific items only, read J.H.R. 1. We’d never get anywhere with everyone wanting to rewrite any of the 26 amendments that we have. Though if we could, abolishing the 16th Amendment would be a start. :o)
Get-R-Done Patriots Get-R-Done 🇺🇸 🗽🇺🇸
It is way past time to consider term limits. Diversity is a word that comes to mind. We should have the thoughts and ideas from many and not decades of just a select few with name recognition.
As I understand the format, articles are determined before the convention. While it meets, nothing new can be voted on or proposed. The convention is not a free for all, the rules are strictly enforced. If I’m wrong anyone can correct my understanding of what isn’t allowed.
And a couple more points. Each state gets one vote and to pass any amendments 38 states have to vote for them. The 2nd Amendment isn’t going anywhere, there are already 25 states with constitutional carry laws and Florida is saying they will be 26 on July1st this year.