Overview:
Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem and House Assistant Majority Leader Alice Hanlon Peisch are seeking to block Washington Republicans from holding a convention to potentially open up the U.S. Constitution to amendment. Their resolution rescinds previous Article V resolutions and makes Massachusetts the "pivotal 17th state" without any active resolutions, which they say would strengthen a "firewall" against efforts to revise the U.S. Constitution and guard against changes to reproductive, marriage, civil, and voting rights.
The two Democrats behind an effort to block Washington Republicans from holding a convention to potentially open up the U.S. Constitution to amendment believe their resolution will secure votes this week in the Massachusetts House and Senate.
The Massachusetts Legislature over the years has approved resolutions calling on Congress to hold an Article V convention, but Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem and House Assistant Majority Leader Alice Hanlon Peisch do not want a convention to unfold before this current Congress, which is controlled by Republicans.
Their resolution (H 4692 / S 2684) rescinds previous Article V resolutions and makes Massachusetts the “pivotal 17th state” without any active resolutions, a change that they say would strengthen a “firewall” against efforts to revise the U.S. Constitution and guard against changes to reproductive, marriage, civil and voting rights.
Creem and Peisch said their identical resolutions were favorably reported by the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, which had no questions for the pair at a public hearing on the resolutions Thursday. The panel approved the House resolution by an 8-0 vote and the Senate resolution on a 4-0 vote.
“We are sending a clear and unequivocal message: Massachusetts will defend constitutional stability, protect fundamental rights, and stand strong for our democracy,” they said in a joint statement. “We would like to thank Senate President [Karen] Spilka and Speaker [Ron] Mariano for their support and efforts to help bring this to a vote in our respective chambers this week.”
At last week’s hearing, Creem said 34 states, or two thirds, need to call for a convention for one to be held. While such a convention has never been held, Creem said there’s “conservative momentum” to hold one.
“One critical article of Article V convention is that there were no clear guidelines on how this convention should be conducted, meaning there’s no rules on what scope of issues should be up for discussion, how delegates would be selected, even how special influence would be curtailed,” Creem testified.
She said one of the still-active Massachusetts resolutions that would be rescinded was a 1977 resolution to ban abortion, and another resolution to overturn prohibition dates back to 1931.