Waterloo Times

Following victories in Nebraska and Wisconsin earlier in the year, the Convention of States held a rally of over 100 people in the State Capitol in Des Moines last month.

The Convention of States is an organization that advocates for calling a convention of all 50 states under Article V of the Constitution, which can propose constitutional amendments. Normally, amendments are passed by having three-quarters of states vote to ratify it after two-thirds of both Houses of Congress vote to introduce it. The Convention of States essentially bypasses Congress — if two-thirds of the states (or 34) vote on it, a convention can be held to propose amendments without the vote of Congress. After the amendments are made, three-fourths (38) of the states would have to ratify it for it to become part of the Constitution.

This Convention of States aims to curtail what its organizers see as "runaway power of the federal government." The Convention is aimed to restore order, states' rights, and limited government. To this end, it seeks to impose federal fiscal restraints, limit federal jurisdiction, and impose term limits on officials. 

"Empty shelves at the grocery store. Vaccine mandates stripping Americans of their freedom and livelihoods. Progressive initiatives infiltrating our schools and teaching the next generation to disdain their heritage. We the people will not watch as the 'land of the free' becomes unrecognizable. We will not stand by as our children’s futures are mortgaged away by the ruling elite," said a blog post on the Convention's site.

With the recent additions of Wisconsin and Nebraska, the Convention of States resolution has been passed in 17 states – half of the necessary 34 to call a convention.

The Convention of States resolution is moving through the Iowa legislature and is known as Senate Joint Resolution 2004. On Feb. 10, it was successfully passed out of the State Government Committee; it will move on to the full Senate next.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) recently visited Iowa to rally support for the Convention of States resolution. He urged lawmakers to act sooner rather than later, citing a federal government in Washington, D.C., he deemed out of control. 

"I came to realize unless I stand up now and work on a solution to keep us free from tyranny, my children and grandchildren would one day ask, 'Dad, what did you do, what did you do!' and I would have to answer, 'Sorry, I was too busy, too fearful to speak out and just thought someone else would do it, so I did nothing! I am sorry you have to live in tyranny, have no property rights, and your children are now the property of the state, but it was just too hard, the task was too much to bear. So I just did nothing. Sorry,'" George Caron, the regional captain of Convention of States Iowa, told Waterloo Times. "Like many of you, God has shaken me to my core and awakened me. I want to be able to face my God, my children, Duane, Skip, and my fellow veterans and say I gave all I could, I fought the good fight."

In the Constitution's 233 years, a Convention of States has never been held successfully.