State Legislators Are Awesome
Did you know 71% of Americans believe there will be ongoing political conflict in 2023? Why? Because our media talks about Washington, DC, incessantly, and we all know the federal government is not working as it should.
But you can fix it! And the American people are desperate for your help!
Why are you awesome?
State legislators know their constituents and their needs far better than members of Congress do.
State legislators are much more collaborative than their counterparts in Washington, DC.
State legislators are constitutionally empowered to push back when Washington isn't serving the American people.
...if the government should become oppressive...
Colonel George Mason was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. An anti-federalist, he feared that the new government was being given too much power.
Anticipating that if Congress was the only entity with authority to propose constitutional amendments, then "no amendments of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people if the government should become oppressive."
He convinced his fellow delegates to include a way to impose reform on the federal government from the outside by giving the states the same power to propose amendments that Congress has. This power is found in Article V of the Constitution.
If not you, who? If not now, when?
Your constituents are counting on you to get involved!
Visit our Q & A page to learn more about federalism,
debunking the myth of a "runaway convention," model legislation for delegate oversight, and more!
Come talk to us
Visit us at the
2023 NCSL Legislative Summit
August 14-16 in Indianapolis, IN
Booth #654
From Your Colleagues and Beyond
State Representative Ken Ivory
(R-UT)
Former State Representative Kelly Townsend (R-AZ)
State Representative Carmine Gentile (D-MA)
The US Constitution is easily explained in four words: "If government, which government?"
It’s incumbent upon us to step up and bring some sanity back to the things that are happening in our country.
When the people feel that something’s not right and the change agents are not being effective, Article V provides a vehicle for the states to come together and make a change.
Vickie Deppe
Director of Education
Path To Reform
Former Senator Neal Schuerer (R-IA)
President, Path To Reform
Former Senator Kevin Lundberg
Chair, State Legislators Article V Caucus Steering Committee
It's not left vs. right...it's DC insiders vs. the rest of us.
We want states to step up to the plate and reclaim their place at the table. The states have an equal say with the national government.
We need to understand that at the state level, we have the ultimate authority. It is up to us to really make the difference.
Sam Fieldman
John Cogswell
Former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell
(R-NM)
We need all of us to do this together. You can’t get an amendment to the Constitution without overwhelming popular support.
Congress will never change the Constitution because they’re too vested in all the goodies that they’re getting.
The Founders gave us Article V to stop our federal government from running away from us. Americans should be more afraid of the federal government than they should be of utilizing Article V of our Constitution.
The
Humility
of our
Founders
Colonel George Mason was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. An anti-federalist, he feared that the new government was being given too much power.
Anticipating that if Congress was the only entity with authority to propose constitutional amendments, then "no amendments of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people if the government should become oppressive."
He convinced his fellow delegates to include a way to impose reform on the federal government from the outside by giving the states the same power to propose amendments that Congress has. This power is found in Article V of the Constitution.
Protecting Freedom
"Federalism was our Nation’s own discovery. The Framers split the atom of sovereignty. It was the genius of their idea that our citizens would have two political capacities, one state and one federal, each protected from incursion by the other."
Anthony Kennedy
Former associate justice of the US Supreme Court