The Connecticut General Assembly has corrected the mistakes of past legislatures by reversing their call for a harmful Constitutional Convention. Both chambers voted unanimously to rescind the previous legislatures’ call for an Article V Constitutional Convention, a process that would upend established freedoms and protections in a chaotic process without any rules.

“A Constitutional Convention would mean constitutional chaos for every basic freedom people from Connecticut cherish,” said Cheri Quickmire, Executive Director of Common Cause Connecticut. “That’s why we must stop all efforts and correct the mistakes of past legislators. This is not a partisan idea as the unanimous votes show, but one that protects our current Constitution”

Common Cause in Connecticut, a key leader in the fight to stop a Constitutional Convention, worked with both chambers to pass legislation championed by Representative Matt Blumenthal and Senator Mae Flexer. HJR49 rescinded all previous calls for a convention and directed the state to inform Congress of the rejection. 

The victory in Connecticut comes on the heels of another victory when Washington State rescinded their prior calls earlier this year. Rescinding calls in both states reverses the progress of Constitutional Convention advocates in calling the convention. 

“We can’t just fight new battles when it comes to stopping a dangerous constitutional convention – we must also educate legislators and rescind calls passed in previous legislatures,” said Viki Harrison, Policy Director of Common Cause. “I’m proud we could help Connecticut legislators correct the mistakes of the past. Common Cause will continue to educate and empower voters to reject the idea we should rewrite our constitution without any rules or precedent in such a highly polarized environment.” 

An Article V Constitutional Convention is:

• A rewrite of the U.S. Constitution triggered when 34 state legislatures call for one
• A process without rules as to who can attend, who writes the agenda, how the votes are cast, or whose voices get heard – or silenced – in the process. 
• A dangerous threat to American democracy as we know it, with the possibility for the U.S. Constitution to be entirely rewritten, with no way to control or curb a convention once it has begun. 

HJR49 will prove significant in protecting the U.S. Constitution, our democracy, and our freedoms, eliminating Connecticut’s decades-old resolutions that were still on the books before they could be misused to advance radical agendas. This resolution counters the extremist national movements that have been testing legal theories in court attempting to take advantage of old state resolutions to enact a new Convention to push their agendas.