“No one person has the solution to these three topics,” he said. “It will take delegates from across the country to grapple with what has worked in their own states and to come together on one set of amendments that can gain consensus.”

Petoskey, MI – On Saturday, September 27, 2025, Senator John Damoose (37th District, Michigan) joined local volunteers from the Convention of States (COS) grassroots movement to host a town hall meeting focused on restoring constitutional balance through an Article V convention of states. Presenting for COS were Bruce Finlayson (Regional Captain representing northern Michigan), two district captains: Susan Lobert and Jim Carter (who, as you can see, dressed the part of the original signers of the US Constitution).  The event centered on these three pressing national challenges: 1.  Establishing term limits for Congress, the Supreme Court, and other federal offices. 2.  Imposing fiscal restraints to balance the federal budget. 3.  Restoring authority to the states that the federal government has absorbed. Nineteen states have passed the COS Resolution, and another eight states have passed it in their House or Senate. Therefore, they are well on their way to passing the COS Resolution, moving us closer to reaching the 34 States required to call the convention that Congress must grant. Senator Damoose emphasized that these issues require national cooperation. “No one person has the solution to these three topics,” he said. “It will take delegates from across the country to grapple with what has worked in their own states and to come together on one set of amendments that can gain consensus.” Three local volunteers gave presentations explaining the Article V solution, a process in the U.S. Constitution that empowers states—independent of Congress—to propose amendments. Any amendment requires ratification by 38 states, ensuring broad consensus. Speakers also stressed the guardrails built into the process. Delegates are strictly limited to the three authorized topics—term limits, fiscal restraints, and restoring state authority—and state legislation can impose penalties to ensure compliance. These protections guarantee open dialogue among the states while preventing unrelated amendments or a so-called “runaway convention. Participants noted the many positives of the Convention of States approach, including: * Grassroots leadership: Ordinary citizens, not Washington insiders, drive the process. * Bipartisan appeal: People across the political spectrum support reforms like term limits and fiscal restraint. * Checks and balances: COS strengthens the voice of states and local communities while reducing federal overreach. * Momentum nationwide: Millions of Americans have signed the COS petition, and over a dozen states have already passed COS resolutions. The meeting sparked robust discussion on how term limits could improve accountability, how fiscal discipline could curb overspending, and how returning power to the states could strengthen local decision-making. In closing, Senator Damoose highlighted the importance of continued citizen engagement: “We need serious discussions to resolve these issues. The convention process ensures those conversations happen across all 50 states, not just in Washington, D.C.”