Article V Convention Opposition Letter

A letter from Common Cause Massachusetts, ACLU of Massachusetts, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, AFSCME, Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the Massachusetts Chapter Sierra Club opposing S.2243, which includes a call for a constitutional convention under Article V.

Common Cause Massachusetts, ACLU of Massachusetts, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, AFSCME, Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the Massachusetts Chapter Sierra Club, along with a coalition of 240 national and local organizations from across the country, oppose S.2243, a resolution to call a new constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution and urge you to either amend it, study it further, or oppose it on the floor.

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. An Article V convention has never been called before in American history, and we should not try to have one at this extraordinarily politically factious time.

While the organizational signers differ on how to deal with the corrosive influence of money in politics and the effects of the Citizens United decision, we all agree an Article V convention is the wrong way to address this problem. We strongly oppose S. 2243 because it calls for such a convention. A significant proportion of us would support similar legislation that does not involve an application for an Article V convention and would support amending the bill to remove the call.