The call to rescind Maryland’s application for a dangerous Article V convention is gaining new momentum and support from legislative leaders, grassroots organizations, and constitutional rights and democracy reform groups. 

Just a week after Maryland’s Democratic leadership included the rescission resolutions (HJ2/SJ2) in their priority package of bills, a coalition of 40 national and state organizations sent a letter to the state legislative leadership urging the state legislature take immediate action to rescind the state’s calls for an Article V constitutional convention. The letter thanks legislators, including Senator Madaleno and Delegate Frick, for their leadership on HJ2/SJ2, which would rescind Maryland’s call for an Article V Convention.

“Time is past due to rectify Maryland’s mistakes and rescind these calls for a constitutional convention, which would put everyone’s rights up for grabs,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, executive director of Common Cause Maryland. “We are glad legislative leaders are prioritizing the rescission effort in order to protect all Marylanders and Americans’ civil rights and liberties.”

“Marylanders can’t let wealthy special interest groups rewrite our Constitution,” said Bevan-Dangel. “A constitutional convention is a dangerous threat to everyone, and the Maryland legislature must take action to help stop it.”

Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, a convention can be called when two-thirds of the states (34) petition for a convention to enact amendments to the constitution. Conservative and balanced budget amendment advocates claim that 28 states, including Maryland, have active applications to call an Article V convention to enact a federal balanced budget amendment, leaving them just six states short of reaching their goal. There are no safeguards or guidelines in the U.S. Constitution that limit a convention to one issue or govern the rules of a convention, which makes the threat of a runaway convention very real.

Read the coalition letter here.

The groups who signed the letter are:

American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland
Fédération américaine des employés des États, des comtés et des municipalités (AFSCME)
Conseil 3 de l'AFSCME
Conseil 67 de l'AFSCME
AFSCME Maryland Retirees Chapter 1
Section locale 2250 de l'ACE-AFSCME
Centre Brennan pour la justice
Centre sur les priorités budgétaires et politiques
Citoyens pour la responsabilité et l'éthique à Washington (CREW)
Coalition pour les besoins humains
Cause commune
Cause commune Maryland
Travailleurs des communications d'Amérique (CWA)
Démocratie 21
Droits des personnes handicapées dans le Maryland
Easterseals
Economic Policy Institute Policy Center
Homeless Persons Representation Project
Ligue des électrices du Maryland
Ligue des électrices des États-Unis
Centre de politique économique du Maryland
Maryland Hunger Solutions
Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO
Maryland State Education Association
Association nationale des travailleurs sociaux
National Association of Social Workers – Maryland Chapter
Réseau national des droits des personnes handicapées
Association nationale de l'éducation (NEA)
Association nationale WIC
National Women’s Law Center
Des gens pour l'American Way
Centre de justice publique
Save Our Votes
Syndicat international des employés des services (SEIU)
SEIU 1199
SEIU Local 32BJ
SEIU Local 500
SiX Action
L'Arc des États-Unis
The Veterans Health Council
Vietnam Veterans of America
Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc.