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The following was submitted by the Office of Sen. Jason Lewis:
State Sens. Jason Lewis and Pat Jehlen and state Reps. Michael S. Day and Michelle Ciccolo joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass joint resolutions S.2684 and H.4692 in the Senate and House of Representatives which rescind all previous applications for a national constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.
An Article V convention allows states to propose amendments to the federal Constitution if two-thirds (34) of state legislatures call for it. An Article V convention could open the entire Constitution to unpredictable and unrequited changes since there are no clear guidelines or limitations on what delegates could propose.
This joint initiative is in response to concerns that the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration could attempt to use prior, outdated Massachusetts resolutions to call for an Article V Constitutional Convention which could have sweeping, negative consequences on the U.S Constitution and advance their own political agenda.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen that President Trump is ready and willing to use any opportunity and tool, lawful or not, to advance his destructive policies around immigration, healthcare, education, national security, and more, and even infringe upon our personal rights to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to protest,” said Lewis. “An ill-planned and unprecedented constitutional congress could destroy the fabric of our free and democratic nation, and Massachusetts will not let that happen.”
“The Trump Administration and its Congressional allies appear willing to employ any means necessary to advance their destructive agenda, threatening the enduring institutions and foundational principles upon which this country rests,” said Day. “I am proud to serve in a Legislature that not only affirms the centrality and strength of our democratic institutions but also acts decisively to defend them in moments they are threatened.”
“We cannot allow this president and his congressional supporters to utilize failed efforts from the past to continue to tear down our democracy and rip away our rights,” said Jehlen. “I’m glad we are taking action on this now, and I hope to see the bill move forward.”
“An unprecedented Article V convention could present a serious threat to our democracy and the rule of law,” said Ciccolo. “I was glad to join my colleagues in taking this important, preventative step to ensure that our Commonwealth could not be made party to a dangerous unraveling of civil rights and liberties for all people.”
The Legislature’s action makes Massachusetts the 17th state to rescind all prior applications for an Article V convention, and it reaffirms the principle that today’s elected officials and the people they represent should make decisions about constitutional changes.
Massachusetts had several outdated Article V resolutions pending before Congress, including a 1977 request to constitutionally ban abortions. Some legal actions have claimed that dormant calls remain active and could count toward the 34-state requirement.
Both chambers of the Legislature voted to approve the new resolutions, and the House and Senate Clerks will transmit copies to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and to the Secretary of the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C.
