The following is an excerpt from an article written by Linda Brickman, the Legislative Liaison for the Arizona Convention of States Project. If you live in Arizona, please contact your state senator immediately! Only a few days remain to pass the Convention of States application in Arizona, and we need Senate President Andy Biggs to put it on the agenda.
Arizona Legislators, as well as those in other States, face the daunting task of mounting a challenge to the overreach by the Federal Government, including attacks by the Executive, Judiciary and even Congressional branches on States’ sovereignty under the 10th Amendment, as well as on individual freedoms under the 1st, 4th and 5th Amendments, among others.
The tools at their disposal have failed to slow the encroachment. An Article V Convention of States has been proposed as a method to unite the State Legislatures as was done over two hundred years ago. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as “the Constitutional Emergency Cord” given to us by the Founders, just in case the States needed it. [...]
Our elected officials were voted into office by their constituents to represent the people and to work in a unified manner with their own Caucus to protect the sovereignty of our State. When one legislator has the power to decide to not only vote for himself but decide for their whole Caucus, that is an unintended consequence and akin to a form of anarchy that enables tyranny to reign.
If any legislator has a passionate opinion on any issue, he or she should be allowed to express it on the floor at any time. But, when power or control becomes such that it is overriding the opinion of others who are not able to express their own viewpoints, then tyranny reigns, even if unintended.