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
Liên đoàn Công nhân Nhà nước, Quận và Thành phố Hoa Kỳ (AFSCME)
Hội đồng AFSCME 3
Hội đồng AFSCME 67
AFSCME Maryland Retirees Chapter 1
ACE-AFSCME Địa phương 2250
Trung tâm Công lý Brennan
Trung tâm Ngân sách và Chính sách Ưu tiên
Công dân vì trách nhiệm và đạo đức ở Washington (CREW)
Liên minh về nhu cầu của con người
Nguyên nhân phổ biến
Nguyên nhân chung Maryland
Công nhân truyền thông Hoa Kỳ (CWA)
Dân chủ 21
Quyền của người khuyết tật Maryland
Easterseals
Economic Policy Institute Policy Center
Homeless Persons Representation Project
Liên đoàn cử tri nữ Maryland
Liên đoàn cử tri nữ Hoa Kỳ
Trung tâm Chính sách Kinh tế Maryland
Maryland Hunger Solutions
Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO
Maryland State Education Association
Hiệp hội Công nhân Xã hội Quốc gia
National Association of Social Workers – Maryland Chapter
Mạng lưới Quyền của Người khuyết tật Quốc gia
Hiệp hội Giáo dục Quốc gia (NEA)
Hiệp hội WIC quốc gia
National Women’s Law Center
Những người theo phong cách Mỹ
Trung tâm Công lý Công cộng
Save Our Votes
Công đoàn nhân viên dịch vụ quốc tế (SEIU)
SEIU 1199
SEIU Local 32BJ
SEIU Local 500
SiX Action
Vòng cung của Hoa Kỳ
The Veterans Health Council
Vietnam Veterans of America
Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc.