A Report on the Massachusetts Hearing on the Article V Convention
The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing Thursday October 12 from 2:00 – to 5:30 PM on a number of bills and resolutions including two resolutions applying for an Article V Convention (S 379 Wolf PAC and S 401 COS). We sent out two E-mail blasts on the subject, and thanks to Brad Wyatt, the Massachusetts Campaign for Liberty also did an E-mail blast.
I attended the hearing and was accompanied by Tom Moor, and Dave Vieira. Dave did an excellent job in his testimony. The Left had a good contingent of people on hand supporting S 379 from “Massachusetts We the People.” The current director of Wolf PAC and one of their attorneys was also on hand to testify. The main sponsor of the Wolf PAC resolution, Carmine Gentile, testified. His testimony and most of the other supporters of S 379 were more interested in overturning the “Citizens United” decision, and said nothing about the Article V convention. The Wolf PAC attorney was the only one that referenced the Article V Convention. He raised the same old easily refuted arguments. The only person on hand, to my knowledge, supporting the COS resolution WAS full time lobbyist for COS from Maine.
While we were greatly outnumbered, I think we held our own. Most of those that testified on behalf of S 379 gave emotional appeals. The only one that actually discussed the convention was the Wolf PAC attorney, and I was able to refute his testimony. The only question that was raised by a member of the committee concerned a “runaway” convention.” The Wolf PAC attorney said it couldn’t happen. I refuted him by pointing out that I have the Wolf PAC founder Cenk Uygur and Professor Larry Lessig on video both wishing for a runaway convention. Here is the link to the short video clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch…
The Wolf PAC resolution had 40 sponsors, and the COS resolution has two. Two years ago, the Wolf PAC resolution had over 80, and twice as many supporters on hand at the hearing, but we still managed to kill it. While two years ago, the COS resolution had 8-10 sponsors and not one supporter to testify. Both resolutions died in committee.
Thank you for all you do, and making Camp Constitutuon’s activities possible.
Hal Shurtleff
Director, Camp Constitution
12 March Ave.
West Roxbury, MA 02132
857-498-1309
www.campconstitution.net
Director, Camp Constitution
12 March Ave.
West Roxbury, MA 02132
857-498-1309
www.campconstitution.net
