Thread by @AliAdair22

(Short version) What is a #ConCon? It is a Constitutional Convention made possible by a little known phrase in The Constitution which explains how to pass amendments.

The first way you know because our country has passed an amendment 27 times, the first 10 of which are together known as the Bill of Rights. Amendments that have passed include: 1: Freedom of Religion, speech, freedom of the press; 2: The Right to keep and bear arms;...

5. The right to due process (all in the Bill of Rights); 13. Abolishes slavery; 17. Election of U.S. Senators by popular vote; 19. Women’s right to vote; 24. Prohibits revocation of voting rights due to nonpayment of poll or any other tax;

26. Prohibits denial of any U.S. citizen 18 years or older to vote; 27. If Congress passes laws about their own salaries, the laws are delayed until the next election of representatives.

But Article V also explains another way that an amendment can be passed: “or, on the Application of Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which in either Case, shall be valid for all Intents and Purposes,...

Article V (cont'd) as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by Congress…”

Between 1973-1983, several states (listed below) passed resolutions to hold a Convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to administer a “Balanced Federal Budget.” There are ten of these left now (some scholars argue that some of these ten can be invalidated for many reasons.)

In 2010, with the Tea Party uprising at its height, the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force (BBATF) was also founded and funded by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has deep ties to the Koch Brothers.

Who are the Koch Brothers? Two billionaires who run the private company Koch Industries Inc., based in Wichita Kansas. Most of Koch Industries companies are involved in the manufacturing, refining, and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and...

Who are the Koch Brothers (cont'd) polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, and chemical technology equipment. In short, polluters who view environmental laws and regulation as their enemy and encourage climate change denial.

The BBATF has lobbied hard to pass 18 more resolutions in different states. 10 + 18 = 28. They only need a total of 34, so that's only 6 to go. They are lobbying hard with many different types of resolutions in different states. List of states that have passed recent resolutions:

There are also many other organizations that are promoting an Article V Constitutional Convention (all with connections to the Koch Brothers or the Tea Party), with different philosophies and ideas for resolutions: The most significant include:

Convention of States (CoS) (language is more broad for limits on Congress; 12 resolutions passed), U.S. Term Limits (Limits on Congressional terms; 3 passed, one in 2018); Compact for America (An interstate pact which includes ratification; 5 passed);...

Wolf PAC (Overturn Citizens United; 5 passed). Many constitutional scholars have warned about the dangers of a Constitutional Convention from the far right wing to the far left wing: Former Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger,...

Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe, Yale Law School Professor Bruce Ackerman, the ACLU, Common Cause, The John Birch Society, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), NAACP, AFL-CIO, The League of Women Voters and many more.

In short, that’s why we oppose Constitutional Conventions for ANYTHING #NoConConForAnything #NoConCon4AnyReason, even if it is a left-wing Democratic cause. Right now, Republicans have trifectas in 26 states, #Democrats have 8.

The odds are heavily stacked against Democrats and it is an abominable idea to go to a Constitutional Convention right now. Yes, it has to be ratified by ¾ of the states (except resolutions passed by Compact for States which are pre-ratified), but take no solace in that.

That is only 4 more states and the delegates could just change the parameters for ratification in the Convention, just as they did in 1787. But it is an abominable idea to go any time—in truth—for either party.

One party will probably lose big, but not without taking a pound of flesh from the other. Republicans fear that even if they re-write the Constitution that their 2nd amendment rights might go under attack from #Democrats.

In summary, Article V outlined the ways for passing an Amendment to the Constitution: For the last 230 years, only the first way has been used. There’s a reason for that. Congress is designed to pass our laws.

If Congress is accomplishing what you want it to, please vote for new legislators, but say NO to a Concon for any reason whatsoever.
#NoConCon
#NoConConForAnything
#NoConCon4AnyReason
#UnKochAmerica

If you would like a more sophisticated version, ConCon 101, please see this thread.

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P.S. If you use the above map in your threads, it would be greatly appreciated if you please at least give a tip of the hat.

Correction, apologies: If Congress is NOT accomplishing what you want it to, please vote for new legislators, but say NO to a Concon for any reason whatsoever.
#NoConCon
#NoConConForAnything
#NoConCon4AnyReason
#UnKochAmerica