Convention of States movement strengthens in Vermont with the help of Malloy, Redic and Strong

This commentary is by Jason Herron, the Vermont state director for the Convention of States Project. He resides in Guilford, Vermont.

The Convention of States Action team in Vermont is gaining momentum. For those who might not be aware, Convention of States is a movement encouraging state legislatures across the country to utilize Article V of our Constitution to rein in our federal government.

The Vermont team is proud to announce that Vicki Strong, Ericka Redic, and Gerald Malloy have all recently accepted leadership roles within the organization, adding to the robust growth.

Article V explains how our Constitution can be amended. Such a proposal has traditionally been made by Congress. However, the other constitutional method is for two-thirds of the states to submit a joint proposal after a Convention of States. In both procedures, the only way that a proposed amendment can be ratified into the Constitution is if three-fourths of the states — 38 states — approve a proposed amendment.

Take the 22nd Amendment for instance. Congress thought it was a good idea to limit the number of years a U.S. President can hold office. They concluded that no person should have that much power for more than two terms — eight years. When two-thirds of Congress agreed on the substance, they sent their proposal to the states for approval (ratification). The state legislatures then debated the proposal and voted. When three-fourths of the states agreed, the 22nd Amendment became part of our Constitution.

But what if you happen to think that members of Congress or their appointed officials in federal agencies should have some form of term limits? The odds that Congress will propose an amendment that limited their opportunities for re-election are certainly not in your favor. Nor does that same Congress have any incentive to limit the terms of their appointed officials.

How can amendments, such as term limits for federal officials, be considered for ratification by the states, if they will not be proposed by Congress?

Well, Article V of our Constitution offers another way to propose Amendments for the States to consider. The Convention of States project mission focuses on building an engaged army of self-governing grassroots activists large enough to not only call the first-ever Article V convention but to also return self-governance to America.

Taking into consideration that 19 states have already agreed to utilize this clause in Article V, the COS strategy has proven results. Adding three influential Vermonters like Redic, Malloy, and Strong to the COS leadership team sends a powerful message that the Green Mountain State should join those 19 others by adopting the same resolution.

Gerald Malloy has committed to be the Veterans Coalitions Director. As a graduate of West Point and with over 22 years in active duty around the world with the U.S. Army, Gerald has faithfully and honorably served his country. The VCD role is to recruit, welcome, and inform U.S. Military Veterans in Vermont about an Article V convention. It is truly an honor to work with the men and women who, like Gerald, swore their oath to protect and defend our Constitution.

Vicki Strong has agreed to be the Legislative Liaison. After 12 years in the Vermont House of Representatives, Vicki’s district was redrawn this last election and the results were not in her favor. During those years of service to Vermont, through her consistent voice of reason, Vicki built lasting relationships with members of our legislature.

The resolution was submitted to the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs by Representative Mark Higley, who is also the ranking member of that committee. Along with Representative Higley, Representatives Tom Burditt, Larry Labor, and Charles Wilson have all signed on as co-sponsors.

Ericka Redic has volunteered to be the Vermont State Videographer. Ericka has her own podcast called “Generally Irritable” where she engages Vermonters on sociopolitical topics. Ericka’s goal is to dig through the rhetoric and search for the truth on serious topics, but she does it in a thought-provoking and often-humorous way.

The fifth season of Generally Irritable will be kicked off with a discussion about the Convention of States movement in Vermont with Legislative Liaison, Vicki Strong. You can watch it live this Friday, February 3 at noon, or at your convenience on any of these platforms: Rumble, YouTube or Facebook.

Convention of States is picking up steam in Vermont. If you’re looking for more information or are ready to stand alongside these Vermont patriots and become a member of this grassroots effort, please sign our petition at conventionofstates.com and consider checking the box to volunteer.

Image courtesy of Convention of States

3 thoughts on “Convention of States movement strengthens in Vermont with the help of Malloy, Redic and Strong

  1. A while back I signed the petition online which I believe emails a letter to State representatives. I received “poo poo” responses from my House representatives, who are both seasoned, tow-the-party-line-no matter-what Democrats. They have no intentions whatsoever to consider being involved or supporting it at all.

Comments are closed.