COS waits until January
We have six months to browbeat Democrats into voting for it, or a campaign of shaming them for saying no.
It may not be the panacea we all need, but since the physican won’t heal thyself, someone has to do it. As part of that process, a resolution was introduced near the end of this year’s General Assembly session to add Delaware to the list of the 34 states required to call an Article V convention, as prescribed in the Constitution. (You mean people still pay attention to that?)
Senate Concurrent Resolution 100 was introduced at the end of the session, as one of 102 such measures brought forth so far this term. It’s the only one of 102 that did not get a vote prior to the end of this year’s proceedings - two other resolutions introduced after it moved on to the House. But I suspect Senator Dave Lawson, who is the primary sponsor, and Senators Eric Buckson and my own Senator Bryant Richardson, who came on as co-sponsors, probably figured as much.
But the “whereas” part, to me, is very simple and straightforward as a reason to pass the resolution:
WHEREAS, the Founders of our Constitution empowered State Legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal government; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the States to protect the liberty of our people – particularly for the generations to come – by proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States through a Convention of the States under Article V for the purpose of restraining these and related abuses of power.
Pretty good indictment, don’t you think?
The state chapter of Convention of States Action also weighed in:
Thanks to the support of you and your 10,000 fellow Delawarean petition signers, as well as the hard work of our Delaware COS team, we are happy to announce the introduction into the Delaware Legislature of Senate Concurrent Resolution 100. When this resolution passes both houses of the Delaware General Assembly, it will serve as Delaware's application to Congress to hold a Convention of States calling for term limits, fiscal responsibility, and limitation of federal overreach. Currently, 20 state legislatures of the 34 required by Article V of the U.S. Constitution have called for this convention.
Senator David Lawson sponsored the resolution in the Senate, with co-sponsors Senators Eric Buckson and Bryant Richardson. In his newsletter, Sen. Richardson said, “An Article V Convention, which the Framers provided, is the only way to rein in our activist judiciary, reduce the size of the federal government, and restore our Constitution back to its original pocket size and its original intent.”
The Delaware legislative session runs for two years, with the current session being 2023-2024. Although the legislature adjourned on June 30, bills that have been introduced in 2023 will be considered and voted on in 2024, beginning in January. We expect that the COS resolution will be decided then.
I would be surprised if the COS got a vote, considering half the Republicans in the Senate are sponsors. That’s not to say that we have really spineless GOP members this term, but there are only six of them and, frankly. most of the Democrats in the State Senate probably like having the federal government as the size it is because they can feel important handing out your great-great-grandchild’s debt to buy a few more votes for themselves. You might get the one Sussex Democrat in the Senate to sign on but chances are she’ll kowtow to the regressives in the crowd.
This is something the national group pointed out:
In Delaware, no committee votes are required for resolutions, so only votes of the entire House and Senate will be taken. In the Senate, the status of the resolution is LOT, meaning “Laid on Table,” or waiting for more action to take place in 2024. If the Senate passes it, the resolution will automatically be sent to the House, where the Speaker may or may not call for a vote. It is most likely that the votes will be “voice votes,” where ayes and nays are heard but not counted unless a member calls for a roll-call vote.
Actually, that’s only true in the House. However, this is why there is importance in having the Senate vote, even if it ends up 6-15. Perhaps it’s something that can wake up the slumbering who have been sitting on the sidelines, or those who think their state legislature is all right but have concerns about the federal government. It’s their chance to send a message to say, “you guys are too big and too powerful.”
And wouldn’t it be funny if Joe Biden’s home state was the first longstanding “blue” state to say yes? (Arizona and Wisconsin are “purple” states that have passed the CoS resolution.) So far Convention of States has been nearly the inverse of the National Popular Vote measure, which has passed in 16 states (all run by Democrats) but supposedly only needs states representing 270 electoral votes to pass (it’s at 205) - at least until the lawsuits begin and the Supreme Court strikes it down. (Perhaps the next resolution in Delaware is the one to abandon that compact.)
Generally these Senate resolutions have passed unanimously this session, but there were a handful of exceptions: the GOP voted against two feelgood measures to “declare gun violence a public health crisis” and “recognizing…Delaware Gun Violence Prevention Week.” All but Richardson (who was absent) voted against updating the report on a state non-tidal wetlands program in the wake of Sackett vs. EPA, decided by the Supreme Court this term.
Most Senate resolutions are rather meaningless, but SCR100 could help set the nation back on its rightful course. That’s why a vote in January is key.