I'm composing this article for those of us that don't feel lucky enough to want to see a new "Constitutional Convention" (often referred to as a "Con-Con") convened any time in the foreseeable future. Of course, it wouldn't go by that name; it would be "a Convention for Proposing Amendments," as provided for in Article V of the Constitution ("The Congress ... on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments").

Nonetheless, many legal scholars and legislators maintain that such a convention, even when called for the purpose of considering one specific amendment, such as a balanced budget amendment, would be able to consider a whole series of amendments which could completely reshape our Constitution.

Not to worry, the pro Con-Con people assure us. They point to that further provision in Article V which states that the amendments resulting from an Article V convention will only be considered valid additions to the Constitution "when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress." However, this provision is hardly assuring when we know that media bias would play a crucial role in the ratification process and could lead to a radically modified Constitution that would no longer secure our God-given rights, but rather formalize the power of the political elites to govern us that has only been usurped up to now.

When an Article V convention is explained this way, most Americans and most legislators oppose such a convention.

Here's an excellent video, "Beware Article V," which explains all of the above and which was produced specifically for warning state legislators about the severe downsides of calling an Article V convention.

Before considering what's been happening in Ohio that bears on the Con-Con question, let's look at some recent history of Con-Con calls. Since our Constitution went into effect over two hundred years ago, several hundred calls for an Article V convention for a wide variety of purposes have been issued by state legislatures. In no case have 34 states issued calls for a convention for any one purpose. However, back in the period 1978-1983, 32 states out of the necessary 34 issued applications for a convention on the subject of a balanced budget amendment.

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