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I’m Just a Bill (the COS remix)

Why does it take so long?

Legislative victories are well worth fighting for, but the legislative process will be exactly that: a fight.

The Founding Fathers may have been political geniuses, but not even they could conjure up a magic word to instantly achieve their legislative dreams. Nor would they have wanted to. The legislative process was designed to be slow, methodical, and selective, ensuring (at least in theory) that “bad bills” never passed on a whim.

However, as Saturday Night Live satirized in its 2014 “I’m just a bill” parody, “There’s actually an even easier way to get things done …. It’s called an executive order.”

Since Ronald Reagan, presidents have issued more than 2,000 executive orders. Those who remember the original Schoolhouse Rock song will know that a bill must go through many steps to become law. In the words of the SNL skit, on the other hand, an executive order pretty much just happens.

This has blinded much of the public to the fact that for those of us who go through the legislative process — which is still necessary for securing more permanent results — victory may not always happen overnight.

Correction: it never does.

Take COS, for example.

In order to pass our application for an Article V convention through the state legislature, the grassroots must first assemble a team within the state to advocate for support. Fortunately, we’ve already laid the groundwork for this step across all 50 states, with supporters and petition signers in every state legislative district.

Unfortunately, that’s only the first of many steps.

Next, the team must secure a legislative sponsor (at least one per chamber) to champion our resolution. (Note: a resolution is slightly different from a bill in that, if passed, it does not become a law, per se. In this case, it applies to Congress for a convention to propose amendments as outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. A governor’s signature is not required to pass a resolution.)

The sponsor should be well-educated about the convention process, trained to respond to the inevitable objections. And speaking of objections, they will abound! With numerous myths circulating about Convention of States, the team will be compelled to prioritize educating lawmakers about Article V.

The next step is to get the resolution filed. Sounds like a fairly simple task, right? Well, try talking to the Connecticut grassroots, who worked steadfastly for years just to get the resolution filed. Indeed, when it comes to the legislative process, this much is clear: there’s no such thing as a “simple task.”

From there, the grassroots will probably sit through at least one committee hearing (the Ohio Senate General Government Committee has already hosted three on COS this year) — and let’s hope it’s the “right” one! If they’re lucky, the grassroots’ hard work educating committee members will pay off with a favorable vote to advance the resolution to the full chamber for consideration. If not, they will have to wait for another session.

In the case that the resolution makes it to the full floor, it will likely face intense scrutiny involving multiple readings and extensive debate. If it passes, the whole process then repeats in the second legislative body (either the Senate or the House). All along the way, the team may encounter a thousand unforeseen setbacks; for example, if a member of the calendar committee opposes us, he or she may seek to bury our resolution beneath a pile of other “legislative priorities.” Or, as happened in Arizona, a single opponent in a leadership position may simply refuse to bring us up for a vote.

But, if the team successfully navigates all those obstacles and our resolution passes in both the Senate and House, we will have finally received everything we need to officially adopt the COS application…in one state.

And we need 34.

As you can see, this “high-octane race to freedom” may sometimes feel more like a crawl. The original Schoolhouse Rock got it right: “it’s a long, long wait” to bring a legislative dream to fruition. But does that mean we should give up? Of course not!

Length of time does not (or should not) negate the worthiness of a project. Our Co-Founder, Michael Farris, labored for roughly 25 years to legalize homeschooling in America. Thank God he didn’t give up because the process was “too slow.” The Royal Proclamation of 1763 sparked an ideological split between the motherland and the American colonies. However, it wasn’t until a quarter of a century later that the latter had firmly established themselves as an independent nation with the ratification of a new Constitution. We’re fortunate they did not take the “path of least resistance.”

While those on the outside looking in may wonder why we “aren’t making any progress,” the truth of the matter is that the grassroots are making progress — daily.

Behind the scenes, everyday patriots in all 50 states remain committed to advancing the cause. It isn’t easy to pass a resolution (or bill) — let alone 34! But if anyone can do it, it’s the COS grassroots army!

Sign the petition below to play your part!

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Created:	2025-06-20 13:47 GMT
Updated:	2025-06-27 07:00 GMT
Published:	2025-06-20 14:00 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 12:05 GMT
Change Author:	Jakob Fay
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