Hundreds of conservatives from across the state made their way to the Texas Capitol today arguing that the Lone Star State should join the call for a Convention of States in order to reign in the power of the federal government.
While a hearing concerning the topic only allowed invited testimony, many Texans came down to speak to their lawmaker about the issue.
“I think it’s the only real chance we have at reigning in a federal government that has stepped far past its constitutional boundaries,” said Helen, a grandmother from Fort Worth. “We have to restore our constitutional liberties and to do so we’re going to have to use all of our constitutional tools. A Convention of States is one of our tools.”
The movement advocating for Texas to support such a convention has been quickly growing in the Lone Star State both with grassroots activists and political leaders.
Unlike the majority of conservative reforms which passed in the Texas Senate only to die in the House, a measure supporting a Convention of States passed the lower chamber last year. It was then blocked from even being considered in the upper chamber by State Sen. Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls).
Coming close, but falling short has made the movement even more determined to pass the measure when the Texas Legislature returns in January. Toward that end, they’ve been picking up serious momentum.
At the beginning of the year, Gov. Greg Abbott announced his support for the measure. Five months later at the Texas Republican Convention, Abbott labeled the issue a cornerstone of his legislative agenda. At the same convention, Republican delegates made the issue one of their five legislative priorities.
Only a week ago, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced his support for the concept as well. The most encouraging consideration for convention advocates however is the massive groundswell of grassroots support.
Few causes can rally over two hundred people to the Capitol on a Tuesday in September. If advocates can continue to gain momentum Texas could be the latest state to join the call for an Article V Convention.
