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Iowa State GOP Convention Passes Anti-COS Plank

On May 4th, 2024, the Iowa Republican Party held its state convention in Clive, Iowa. I was honored to be one of the delegates and had the privilege of working with patriots and conservatives from across the state to address the issues facing the party. There were several key planks added to the platform, including opposition to omnibus bills and support for term limits, that reflected the shared values between Convention of States (COS) and the Republican Party of Iowa. However, there was a significant setback when a plank opposing all efforts to call an Article V Convention of States was adopted. I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the misinformation I heard at the convention.

1. We must defend the Constitution and stop all efforts to call an Article V Convention.

This is a contradictory statement that is frustrating to hear. By calling for an Article V convention we are following the procedures laid down in the Constitution by our founding fathers, not attacking it nor attempting to replace it.

2. There is no need to rewrite or replace the US Constitution.

I strongly agree with this statement. The Constitution of the United States is a divinely inspired document that has guided our country for almost 250 years. There is no need to rewrite or replace it. However, the Founding Fathers recognized that they were unable to see into the future and there could come a time when the Constitution would need to be amended and provided for ways to do that.

There have been over 11,000 proposed amendments, 33 of which have been submitted to the states and 27 ratified by the states and added to the Constitution since it was ratified in 1788. The willingness of the Founding Fathers to amend the original document was made clear by the addition of The Bill of Rights just 3 short years after ratification of the Constitution.

3. A runaway convention could change anything and there is no control over what happens.

This statement implies there is no outside control over what happens at an Article V convention. That is true, however, that is a positive, not a negative. The reason there is a need for an Article V convention is that the federal government is out of control and Congress has failed to follow its constitutional responsibilities to stop overspending and abuses of power. We need a convention free from Washington, D.C.'s control to restore constitutional rule of law and stop federal overreach.

It is also true that anything could come out of an Article V convention, but the Founding Fathers recognized this and did not give the convention unlimited authority. First, any amendment proposed at an Article V convention would first have to be approved by, at minimum, 26 out of 50 delegations present at the convention. Second, any amendment approved by the convention would then have to be ratified by 38 state legislatures before becoming law. The Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, recognized that there would exist a need for amendments to the Constitution and that it should be very difficult to accomplish.

The most common example I have heard is that an Article V convention could repeal the 2nd Amendment. While that is true, depending on the topic of the Article V resolution, any attempt to do so would be incredibly difficult to get approved by the Convention and impossible to get ratified by the states. The Founding Fathers understood that any system put in place could be abused and made it incredibly difficult for any special interest to abuse an Article V convention.

4. We need to let the legislative process work and not bypass our elected officials.

The legislative process in Washington, D.C. is not working and has not worked for decades. Iowa has multiple members of its congressional delegation that have voted in direct opposition to the party platform and the will of the people. There exists a need for an Article V convention because the legislative process does not work and we no longer have a government of “We the People”.

This is just a short list gathered from personal experience, but it reflects a lack of knowledge and information that I found shocking. COS is a grassroots movement that relies on everyday people like you and me to spread good information and allow people to make informed decisions. Visit ConventionofStates.com to learn more and sign the petition to be part of our grassroots organization.

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Created:	2024-05-06 16:34 GMT
Updated:	2024-05-17 07:00 GMT
Published:	2024-05-10 05:00 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 12:03 GMT
Change Author:	Garrett Schreur
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