The following was written by Rita Peters and Paul Phillips. We The People… In preparation for Convention of States Foundation’s Simulated Convention, we solicited proposed amendments from you, our dedicated grassroots army. Your grassroots proposals will be shared with the commissioners attending the Simulated Convention scheduled for August 2-4, 2023. This is in keeping with the sentiments expressed by President Abraham Lincoln in his 1861 inaugural address: I can not be ignorant of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of having the National Constitution amended. While I make no recommendation of amendments, I fully recognize the rightful authority of the people over the whole subject, to be exercised in either of the modes prescribed in the instrument itself; and I should, under existing circumstances, favor rather than oppose a fair opportunity being afforded the people to act upon it. I will venture to add that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to originate with the people themselves, instead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by others, not especially chosen for the purpose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish to either accept or refuse. Get Ready for the Simulated Convention Check out this video to learn more about Convention of States Foundation’s Simulated Convention! Next, you will want to go to this link to register to receive the live stream of the plenary session on August 4. You can also register to host a watch party to enjoy the simulation with your friends and family. Check Out Our Grassroots Amendment Proposals Our amazing grassroots have submitted over 350 amendment proposals from nearly all 50 states! There were 130 members of our grassroots who submitted ideas. That should give the commissioners of the simulation plenty to consider. Check out this list to see from which states proposed amendments were submitted: The amendment proposals covered fiscal restraints, term limits, and limits on the power and jurisdiction of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The chart below gives a breakdown of amendment proposals by each of these categories. We also broke down the proposals by their function. Some clarified existing language, some overturned a bad precedent, and others implemented a new constraint on the federal government. Our grassroots are clearly interested in adding new limitations on the federal government, particularly the legislative branch. What are the Specific Amendment Proposals? You can access a copy of the proposed amendments that will be shared with the commissioners to Convention of States Foundation’s Simulated Convention at the following links. Our legal team carefully reviewed each submission. They took out duplicates (repealing the 16th amendment is popular!), along with many that raised questions of germaneness, and compiled the rest into the following three documents to be distributed to the committees: Term Limits Fiscal Restraints Legislative and Executive Power Your To-Do List Here is your To-Do list to get ready for the historic Simulated Convention: Register for the live stream Register to host a watch party Review the Grassroots Proposed Amendments Enjoy the live stream of this historic event Rita Peters is the Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs and Paul Phillips is a Legislative Associate for the Convention of States Project, a project of Citizens for Self-Governance.
