The TIME IS NOW for S 198 and H 3177!

Yesterday (April 14th) both the South Carolina House and Senate returned to Columbia from furlough. Here's what we need everyone in South Carolina to do.

I am going to be honest -- I'm about to ask a lot of you right now, so please carefully read through all of this most crucial message to you. This is not the time to be too busy to get involved or to short attentioned to not read through a VERY important message. This is the time to make time to be a Patriot!

It is time for us to go into a FULL COURT PRESS in both chambers. Crossover date is May 1st. That is the date that a bill or resolution must cross over from one chamber to the other in order to be voted on in the other chamber before this year’s session comes to a close in early June. Therefore, either our Senate resolution S 198 must be passed in the Senate or our House resolution H 3177 must be passed in the House by that date. For this particular Call to Action below to be effective, we need to all do this at the same time. We need to light up their phones and fill their email boxes all at one time.

To refresh your memory, the COS Project resolution S 198 was passed out of the South Carolina Senate with a vote of 13 to 8 on March 17th. Every single Republican present on that committee voted for this resolution. Unfortunately many Democrats in the SC Senate are opposing this effort to rein in the federal government and a “minority report” was placed on this bill when it was sent to the Senate floor. A “minority report” permits one person to thwart the efforts of the majority, and prevents debate and vote on our resolution!

The only way to bring this resolution up for debate and a vote is to have a majority of Republican Senators support and vote for what is called “Special Order”. The Republicans in the SC Senate have a strong majority and can easily bring S 198 up on “Special Order.” There are multiple bills “competing” for Special Order right now, and one of them is S 30 the Article V effort that is limited to a Balanced Budget Amendment. You know from my previous messages that a BBA all by itself will not address the deep issues of power imbalance between the states and the federal government. The only Article V effort that is using a template resolution in order to force Congress to call a Convention of States that will address the runaway federal government is S 198.

Over on the House side, our resolution (H 3177) is still in the House Judiciary Committee subcommittee on Constitutional Law.

It is HIGH time that the legislators in the South Carolina General Assembly summon the courage to take up the mantle left to them by our great founders. That mantle is the tool left specifically to the states in Article V of the United States Constitution that permits the states to go COMPLETELY AROUND CONGRESS and propose amendments to the Constitution to rein in an abusive and oppressive staggering power drunken federal government. These legislators are getting all the fear mongering and lies from the hand wringers and pants-wetters out there right now, and it is time for them to ignore that nonsense and step up to the plate to join the other states that have passed this resolution and save our country.

It is time for all of you that are interested in saving our country with the lawful, peaceful, orderly, and most importantly, the Constitutional tool specifically given to the people and the state legislatures to begin a MASSIVE calling and emailing campaign to let them know in no uncertain terms that we want them to MOVE and bring S 198 up on Special Order and pass it in the Senate and we want them to MOVE and bring H 3177 to a vote on the House floor and pass it!

So what we are asking of you is a TALL order, I know. But I also know that many if not all of you got involved in this effort in order to save our country for your children, grandchildren and all of our progeny. Our founders gave up their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor…they gave ALL. Is it too much to ask of ourselves to make phone calls and send emails? I can tell that in 2015 those are the things we need to do in order to let our legislators to know LOUD and CLEAR that S 190 (Senate) and H 3177 (House) are to be their primary order of business. All other issues before them truly pale in comparison to our state taking a stand against the growing tyranny by joining the other states calling for an Article V Convention of the States in order to propose amendments that will impost fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.

It is time for us to get all over these legislators to let them know that they need to make this happen. Tell them that you are going to ask ten of your friends to do the same thing. Put them on notice that we will not let them rest until they pass the Convention of States resolution (S 198 if you are talking to a Senate office and H 3177 if you are talking to House office).

Ok, so let’s start with the Senate! Remember, the Senate resolution is S 198. When talking to a Senate office and sending your email use this message: we want S 198 brought up on Special Order and ultimately passed in the South Carolina Senate.

If you would like a sample for your email:

Dear Senator[*****],

Thank you for your service to the great State of South Carolina as a member of the Senate. I want to express my views regarding the Convention of States resolution S 198, which was passed out of full Judiciary with every single Republican voting in favor. I strongly support an Article V Convention of States to bring power back to South Carolina. I want SC legislators like you making decisions for South Carolina rather than someone in the federal government. I urge you to support Special Order for S 198 and vote for its passage on the Senate floor as soon as possible.

Thank you again for you service,

[Your name and Town]

District Name Email Phone SD2 Larry Martin LarryMartin@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6610 SD5 Tom Corbin TomCorbin@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6100 SD8 Ross Turner RossTurner@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6148 SD12 Lee Bright LeeBright@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6008 SD16 Greg Gregory greggregory@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6024 SD23 Katrina Shealy KatrinaShealy@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6108 SD24 Tom Young TomYoung@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6124 SD25 Shane Massey shanemassey@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6024 SD28 Greg Hembree GregHembree@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6016 SD33 Luke Rankin LukeRankin@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6410 SD38 Sean Bennett SeanBennett@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6116 SD41 Paul Thurmond PaulThurmond@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6172 SD43 Chip Campsen chipcampsen@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6340 SD1 Thomas Alexander thomasalexander@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6220 SD3 Kevin Bryant KevinBryant@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6320 SD4 William O'Dell WilliamODell@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6350 SD6 Mike Fair MikeFair@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6420 SD9 Danny Verdin SAgriComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6230 SD13 Shane Martin ShaneMartin@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6100 SD14 Harvey Peeler SMediComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6430 SD15 Wes Hayes SEthicsComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6240 SD18 Ronnie Cromer RonnieCromer@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6330 SD20 John Courson SEduComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6250 SD31 Hugh Leatherman SFinComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6640 SD34 Ray Cleary RayCleary@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6040 SD37 Larry Grooms STransComm@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6400 SD44 Paul Campbell PaulCampbell@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6016 SD46 Tom Davis TomDavis@scsenate.gov (803) 212-6008

Please email AND call all 28 Senators on this list. Yes, it will take a few minutes of your time. But we must get all of these Senators in order to get Special Order on S 198 in the Senate. We cannot let the Democrats defeat our efforts to use the single most powerful tool in the Constitution to rein in an out control federal government. So it is critical that you invest a few minutes now for the future of the country. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us!

Over on the House side, call the members of the House Judiciary Committee subcommittee on Constitutional Law and use this message: I’m asking that you quickly move on passage of H 3177 out to the full House Judiciary Committee so that this very important resolution can be passed this year.

The legislators listed below are the members of that committee.

If one of the committee members is YOUR representative, be sure to let them know that. But you can (and should) contact every one of the 5 members. Please remember to be kind, polite and professional. We have already been told by some of the legislators that COS people are highly regarded in the Capitol because they are not rude or obnoxious. We want to keep it that way.

If you would like a sample for your email:

Dear Representative [*****],

Thank you for your service to the great State of South Carolina as a member of the House and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. I want to express my views regarding House Resolution 3177, which has already had two hearings in your subcommittee. I strongly support an Article V Convention of States to bring power back to South Carolina. I want SC legislators like you making decisions for South Carolina rather than someone in the federal government. I urge you to support H 3177 and approve its passage out of your subcommittee for a vote by the full House Judiciary Committee.

Thank you again for you service,

Hon. Bruce Bannister, Chairman (803) -734-3138 brucebannister@schouse.gov

Hon. Greg Delleney (803) -734-3120 Gregdelleney@schouse.gov

Hon. Weston Newton (803) -212-6810 WestonNewton@schouse.gov

Hon. James Smith (803) -734-2997 james@jamessmith.com

Hon. Walt McLeod (803) -734-3276 WaltMcLeod@schouse.gov

Please feel free to use the sample emails above as a guide, but I encourage you to use your own words to make it personal. And remember; be very nice!

Again, I know that this is asking a lot…to make all these calls and send emails…..but I ask you to remember what our founders sacrificed to give us our great nation and our great Constitution. We can do no less to save our country for our progeny. They need to hear from every one of you.

Again, this is not the time to be too busy to get involved. This is the time to make time to be a Patriot!



As always, THANK YOU for standing shoulder to shoulder with the founders and advocating for our states to use the tool given to us by those great men!

Respectfully,

Bob Menges

South Carolina State Director

Convention of States Project

Cell: 843-209-6121

Email: rmenges@cosaction.com