2:6 – Testifying Before Your State Legislature

In order to stop a resolution for Congress to call for a convention under Article V, citizens need to testify at the statehouse.

This is how it is done:

First, know who your state legislators are. This is easily found on JBS.org under the “Take Action” tab. Click on “Contact Elected Officials” and enter your address under the “locate your legislators”, then scroll down to see who your representatives are.

The Society will notify you when your state legislature introduces a new Con-Con resolution, schedules it for a hearing, or schedules for a committee vote or floor vote. Sometimes this happens with less than 48-hour notice. So, if you would like these important and timely alerts, also under “Take Action” click on “Legislative Action Alerts” to sign up.

Some state legislatures even provide electronic notification alerts via email to track a specific resolution, bill number or topic. Look into what your state provides. It’s just one more tool for staying on top of what’s happening in the legislature and when hearings or votes may be scheduled.

When you find out a committee hearing is scheduled for a Con-Con resolution, work with your JBS Coordinator to ensure you sign up properly to testify as well as prepare for your testimony. Some states require you to sign up early, others have you sign up when you show up the day of the hearing. So, when looking into the sign-up process, be sure to find out how much time you will have to speak. Some states don’t have a time cap while other states limit testimonies to no more than 5 minutes.

So, prepare accordingly.  Plan for a full testimony, but have an abridged version ready, just in case the committee chair limits the duration of each testimony.

They will state whether to discuss specific points about a Con-Con or the desired constitutional amendment that the resolution seeks to propose at the convention. You will likely testify along with other JBS members and concerned citizens. It’s best to plan beforehand what everyone will be covering. Your Coordinator is trained to help you, so please take their advice.

Speaking off the cuff can be difficult. We recommend typing your speech out and practice reciting, both your full version and backup abridged version, before showing up. If you need help writing it, again feel free to reach out to your Coordinator. They will be more than happy to help you.

Once your speech is written, ask your Coordinator and fellow Birchers if they will listen to your speech and give you feedback. Practice, practice, practice. You want to be able to wow the crowd with facts about why convening an Article V Convention would be a terrible idea. Most con-con supporters have only ever heard their side of the debate and never considered why they should oppose it.

On the day of the hearing, dress professionally to look your best to address the legislators serving on the committee. If you want to show that you are united with other Constitutionalists desiring to stop a Con-Con, consider wearing a sticker or buttons that says “No Article V Convention” or “No Convention of States/COS.” Whether its buttons or stickers, be sure to order them a few weeks before you testify to ensure they will arrive on time.

You are now equipped to deliver a professional argument.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about testifying at your statehouse. It’s people like you that will help save and restore our constitutional republic.

Learn more about Article V and the amendment process by visiting JBS.org.