There is a meeting of representatives from at least 30 states scheduled just three days from now, Saturday, December 7, at the library in Mount Vernon. (Is nothing sacred? George Washington is probably spinning in his grave even as we speak.) Elected officials will be among the attendees: David Long, President of the Indiana State Senate; and Jason Spencer, Georgia state representative.

In fact, the state of Indiana has actually enacted legislation to facilitate the appointment of delegates to such a convention, and to govern their activities.

To take a step back, I should explain that Article V of the Constitution provides two ways to amend the Constitution. The first, with which we are familiar because it is the way all amendments have been enacted to date, is for two-thirds of the House and Senate to vote for an amendment, which is then sent to the States for ratification (which requires approval by three-fourths of the States). But alternatively, if two-thirds (34) of the States so request to Congress, Congress must then call a convention to propose amendments (which must then be ratified, again, by three-fourths of the States). Although the procedures for such a convention are unclear, the folks currently pushing this take the position that such a convention would be a creature of the State legislatures, with delegates appointed by the legislatures and bound by their instructions.

Think about it -- while I haven't done the math, I bet you could come up with two-thirds of the States with a combined population less than that of California and New York. At any rate, clearly the convention could be convened at the request of legislatures representing a small minority of the nation's population. This is yet another attempt by the right to enact policies that they can't win through legitimate elections.

As I said, these folks are meeting this Saturday, they are serious, and they are backed by mass media. We need to make people aware of this threat to democracy and preemptively discredit those pushing it, before it picks up more steam. In particular, we should contact our State legislative representatives and make very clear our opposition to any such constitutional convention.

Here are more links with general information about this movement: here, here, here, and here.