The Convention of States North Carolina (COSNC) has over 89,000 North Carolinians who signed the petition calling for a Convention of States. COSNC also has over 2,500 North Carolina volunteers working to get the N.C. General Assembly to vote for the Convention of States Resolution, and polling shows that 62% of North Carolinians support their efforts.

But not everybody does, and this article is in response to Michael Bruce’s more-critical view of the Convention of States, published in Carolina Journal on Dec. 9. Mr. Bruce used Edmund Burke’s philosophy as the foundation of his critique, summarizing Burke as saying: “all change is not change for the better; proceed with caution.” I agree with that sentiment.

The COS is proceeding with caution. It is not calling for secession, insurrection, or civil war. It is implementing Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

We do have a republic with its democratic institutions of checks and balance. And Article V of the U.S. Constitution is a part of that, a check and balance to the federal government.

COS requires 34 states to pass a COS Resolution in both chambers in the same session. And after that it still needs 38 states to ratify any proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Any reasonable person will see that this process is — by its very nature — slow, deliberate and inclusive.

The N.C. Senate passed it in 2017 but not the House. Then the N.C. House passed it in 2022 but not the Senate. So, after over five years of considering it, N.C. still needs both chambers to pass it in the same session. I ask your support in 2023-2024 to make that happen. Go to: www.conventionofstates.com for more information.

The “tried-and-true avenue to amending the Constitution” has given us a current Federal debt of over $30 trillion. The COS Resolution aims to “impose fiscal restraints on the federal government.” I don’t think waiting until the debt is $60 trillion is the conservative thing to do.

The “tried-and-true avenue” has given us the federal government usurping state power/jurisdiction. The COS Resolution also aims to “limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.” As one example, the federal government is now going after parents as domestic terrorists for standing up for their children in local schools. I consider this an abuse of federal power/jurisdiction. Return legitimate power/jurisdiction to the representatives we elected to our North Carolina General Assembly.

The “tried-and-true avenue” has given us unlimited terms of office in many federal positions and Congress. The COS Resolution reads: “limit the terms of office for its [federal] officials and for members of Congress.” I am a boomer, but I also want my gen x and y children and my gen z grandchildren’s generations to have opportunities in the federal government. Term limits will help accomplish this.

The COS process cannot honestly be referred to as an “expedited and partisan measure.” It has been in the Constitution for 246 years; it takes 34 states to call for it, and it takes 38 states to ratify any proposed amendment coming from it. That is by its very nature moderate, reasoned, and non-partisan.

The COS movement does have valid and legitimate reasons. But we are NOT calling for a “constitutional convention.” We are calling for a Convention of States to amend our current constitution, NOT write a new one.

The federal government has been unable to control itself for decades. A Convention of States is not a “nuclear option.” It is a legitimate option afforded us by our founders in the U.S. Constitution. It calls all states and parties to come together in deliberation and compromise to bring the federal government back into balance with our Constitution.

To paraphrase, it seems to me, the Convention of States is a process of “cautious change for the better.”

And, according to polling, North Carolinians agree: