As many of you already know, members of the JBS have been fighting against constitutional convention (con-con) calls by state legislatures for over 20 years.  We've been tremendously successful at preserving the Constitution from the very likely extensive revisions it would receive at the hands of an Article V con-con.

 If you don't know what this con-con issue is all about, view the "Beware Article V" video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za8_pdJ1dPo

Here's a brief history of the con-con issue.

Article V of the Constitution provides for amending the Constitution in two ways: (1) by Congress proposing an amendment, then submitting for ratification by three-fourths of the states; or (2) by two-thirds of the states calling for a constitutional convention, then submitting the amendment(s) for ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Up to now every amendment that has been added to the Constitution has resulted from method (1). An Article V constitutional convention as specified by method (2) has never been called.

The problem with an Article V convention is that there is no guarantee that it would consider only the amendment(s) that it was called by the states to consider. This convention could easily end up radically revising the Constitution, and given the huge influence of the biased mainstream media, this radically revised constitution could readily be ratified by three-fourths of the states, and presto chango, we'd have a brand-new constitution.

Just look at the "Beware Article V" video and you'll see what I mean.

So, to continue our brief history.... Back in the mid 1970s a balanced budget amendment (bba) movement sprang up and by 1983 it had led to 32 state legislatures asking Congress to call an Article V constitutional convention. 

Enter the JBS. With 32 states out of the necessary 34 (two-thirds) already on record with con-con calls, our nation was only two more states away from a very risky con-con. However, since JBS members got involved in this fight in the 1980s, not one more state has approved a balanced budget amendment con-con. What's more these intrepid Birchers worked closely with their state legislators in many states which led to ten states rescinding (withdrawing) their bba con-con calls as well as all of their other con-con calls for other purposes. So, now instead of 32 states on record with bba con-con calls, there are only 22 states with "live" (unrescinded) bba con-con calls.

While subtracting ten states off the total with live calls for a bba con-con is very valuable, we do have to realize that the pro con-con forces will argue that the rescissions are not valid and should not be subtracted from the 32 states which originally made their bba con-con calls. They'll argue that the score is still 32 states with only two more needed before Congress calls a con-con. Since we can't predict the outcome of such maneuvering, it's most prudent to work very hard to ensure that no more bba calls are made.

Now back to the present.

 Earlier this month, Republicans in the Ohio state legislature introduced bba con-con call resolutions in both its House and Senate, with a hearing scheduled by the House Judiciary Committee for Dec. 10. You can read some of the details of how extensive grassroots pressure killed this con-con resolution in Ohio at http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/603.

Next, on December 16 a Virginia state senator announced that he will be introducing a bba con-con resolution in the Virginia General Assembly in early 2009.  So, here's another case where extensive grassroots pressure is needed to stop a con-con call. Since Virginia already rescinded its con-con calls  as recently as 2004, hopefully many legislators there remember why a con-con is such a bad idea and prevent any new call.

We are all involved in this con-con battle.

 Preventing a dangerous con-con is not just for citizens in Ohio and Virginia. By reading the article about the Virginia state senator and his plans for a bba con-con call you'll be able to see where your state stands. Either your state is among the 18 that have never made a bba con-con call, or it's one of the 22 that have made a bba con-con call and never rescinded this call, or it's one of the ten states that have rescinded their bba con-con call over the past 20 years.

If your state has never made a bba con-con call, you're somewhat off the hook until such a threat arises. However, you're not really off the hook altogether because in nearly every state there are multiple con-con calls for various reasons already on the books. A few legal scholars argue that all con-con calls, no matter how much the state legislatures have labored to make them single purpose, should count toward the 34 necessary for a con-con. The safest way to ensure that this "count'em all" attitude does not lead to a con-con in the future is to use the "Beware Article V" video in conjunction with many other like-minded citizens in your state and get all the con-con calls wiped off the books.

If your state is one of the 22 with a "live" bba con-con call on the books, you should work with others to create sufficient pressure on your state legislators to get the call (along with all other calls) rescinded. This is the prudent thing to do just in case the previous rescissions are not considered valid.

If your state is one of the ten that has rescinded its con-con calls, you still can't rest. Virginia rescinded its calls in 2004. Now in 2009 it appears pretty certain that a new bba con-con call will be considered.  I know you've heard about the necessity of "eternal vigilance."

We must win this fight to preserve the Constitution!

 Losing this fight to prevent a con-con is not an option. Our very God-given rights and freedoms are at stake, as well as for our children and our grandchildren. From what we've already seen this month, it's highly likely that we'll see more bba con-con resolutions popping up across the U.S. in early 2009. Please network with other constitutionalist citizens and organizations through the JBS Community, the JBS.org Freedom Campaign, the JBS.org Freedom Campaign Meetup Alliance, and other like-minded groups and organizations to preserve our Constitution!